A Piece of You
by xEruaphadrielx
Summary: Alassë lost both of her parents; her father in battle, and her mother to grief. Now she holds her father's horse and his filly close to her heart. When the filly is chosen by Legolas to be his new steed, Alassë is devastated and resents letting her go for fear of losing one of the only things that she has left to love. /Legomance, post-books/movies. Currently on hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everyone! Thanks for taking a peek at my first story, I hope that there are not too many mistakes in it. The story takes place after the events of the books/movies. I understand that after Legolas has finished travelling with Gimli, they leave for the Undying Lands, but I have written my story based around Legolas returning to Mirkwood once the town has been re-established and re-named Eryn Lasgalen, or the Wood of Greenleaves._

_Please check back often, as I will most likely be unable to update on a routine basis, since I am currently studying at University. I will try my best to update frequently, but I will promise you all right now that this story has my utmost dedication and will not be left to die._

_Note: I get my elvish from Grelvish and Arwen-Undomiel and I realize that not all of this is correct, however I feel that it helps the dialogue in the story._

_Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 1**

It was a warm and sunny afternoon in Mirkwood. Alassë hummed to herself quietly as she went about her daily routine at the stables. It was late summer, but Alassë could smell autumn in the air, and every so often a cool breeze would drift through the barn, carrying stray pieces of hay with it. Reaching the final stall in the barn, she tossed an armful of hay over the wall and brushed herself off, before turning to head back to her office to grab her bag. On her way out, she whistled softly. A big grey stallion and a little grey filly lifted their heads and peered over their wall, the filly trying her hardest to stretch her neck high enough to see. Alassë laughed and lowered her face down to the filly's outstretched nose.

"My little Sirdal, you will soon grow tall like your sire! Don't you worry, little filly," She laughed as the foal nuzzled her, gently kissing her ear with curious lips.

Straightening up, she gave Sirdal a pat on the forehead before wandering over to the bigger horse, who stood looking at her patiently waiting his turn. Alassë reached up and pulled a piece of hay from the stallion's long white forelock.

"Novaer, Tálagor." (Be good, Tálagor) She said, smiling. "I will see you after I have my mid-day meal!"

With that, she shouldered her bag and walked out of the stables and into the afternoon sunshine. She continued to hum as she walked through the streets, paying little attention to the activities around her. She did however hear her name amid the bustle of the town.

"Alassë! Alassë!"

Turning, Alassë saw her cousin coming swiftly towards her, her long brown hair glowing in the sun.

"Mae govannen, (Greetings) Anira! What is so important that you come running through the streets to tell me?" She smiled at her cousin.

"The Prince, mellon, (The Prince, friend) he will be arriving shortly at the stables!"

Alassë looked at her cousin, slightly puzzled. "Would you perhaps tell me the reason for his visit?"

She was trying to think of a reason why the elf prince would want to visit the stables. She knew that his horse was of good health, and the high-elves always had servants come to the stables to ready their horses. Suddenly, Alassë was worried.

"It is not because I have done something wrong, is it?"

Anira laughed lightly, "Not at all, mellon! The Prince is in need of a new horse, he says that his horse has seen enough trouble and that he needs to enjoy the rest of his time in peace. He will choose a new horse, Alassë!"

She should have been relieved, but Alassë could only think about a new fear, her little Sirdal possibly being taken away from her. She tried to brush it off, since she did not want to dwell on it too much for the time being.

"Well, when will the Prince arrive? Today?" She said, turning to her cousin.

"Soon! I overheard it on my way through the Halls," Anira replied, brushing a lock of her hair from her face.

"Well then I must go quickly, the stables are most definitely not fit for the Prince in their current state!"

"I will go with you, I was just on my way home but you sound as though you could use the extra help," Anira smiled.

The two turned and made their way quickly back to the stables, where they found the other two stable hands sitting on bales of hay eating their mid-day meals. They were soon up and helping to get the stables in top shape upon hearing the news of prince Legolas' coming. The team made quick progress, and no sooner were the aisles swept tidy and the horses groomed did the Prince himself step through the stable doors.

Alassë made her way over and greeted him, moving her right hand up to her chest. "Mae l'ovannen, ernil nin Legolas" (You are well met, my prince Legolas)

"Le fael, (Thank you) Stable master. May I know your name?" He asked after returning the gesture.

"Alassë, ernil nin," she smiled warmly, hiding how she truly felt about the visit. She had forgotten to fix herself, and was sure she looked a mess, but she was too worried about Sirdal to care much for her appearance.

"Would you like for me to show you around the stables?" She asked him politely.

"That would be much appreciated, Alassë," Legolas replied with a genuine smile.

As the two started off through the stables, Alassë turned to her two stable hands and offered to let them return home for the evening. They had worked hard and Alassë was grateful for their dedication. They nodded graciously and headed out, wishing the prince well in his search.

Alassë led Legolas through the stables, showing him every young colt and filly and telling him about their breeding and nature. The Prince was very attentive, often stopping to pat and talk to the young horses. Alassë was so far pleased with her efforts to avoid showing him Sirdal, although she knew that if she was discovered she would be in deep trouble. Despite the fact that Tálagor is Sirdal's sire, the filly was born to a Mirkwood mare, and therefore did not belong to Alassë. She was confident though that Legolas would find a suitable companion in one of the other foals that she had shown him. After much time was spent playing with the foals, Alassë and Legolas made their way back towards the front of the stables.

As they walked, Alassë let herself hum softly, pleased with herself. Unfortunately, her song caught the unwanted attention of a certain pair of tiny grey ears. The tiny grey muzzle poked up over the stall wall and nickered softly. Both Alassë and Legolas stopped and turned to see little Sirdal peeking out from her stall.

"This one is certainly lovely, isn't she?" Legolas said admiringly as he made his way over to her stall. He reached out and gently placed a hand on the filly's nose, talking quietly to her. Alassë felt like crawling into a hole and hiding, but she forced herself to respond.

"Yes, she certainly is," she replied quietly, trying to keep her disappointment from showing.

After several painful minutes, Legolas gave Sirdal one final pat and turned to face Alassë.

"I am afraid that I must return to the Halls now, for my sire will be anxious to hear the news of my visit," he said warmly.

"I take it that you are pleased with what I have shown you then, ernil nin?" She asked hesitantly, not quite sure how to feel about the elf prince's obvious joy.

"Of course, I have seen many wonderful young horses today. And please, you may call me Legolas, Alassë."

Alassë nodded, smiling back at him, not quite sure what to say or how to feel.

"I will return tomorrow in the afternoon to tell you my decision, if that is all right with you," he continued.

"Of course, ern-, Legolas," Alassë corrected herself, smiling as best she could.

Legolas smiled and gestured with his right hand, "Abarad, (Until tomorrow) Alassë."

Alassë returned the gesture and watched as he walked out of the stable and into the cooling evening air, her heart sinking as she turned her thoughts to the little filly beside her. She was so caught up in her emotions that she did not hear the footsteps from behind her.

"Mellon! I do think that the elf Prince fancies you!"

Alassë jumped and turned around to see her cousin coming from the feed room. She walked over to her and stood in front of Alassë, a grin on her pretty face.

"Oh stop teasing, Anira," She laughed, pretending to find her cousin's joke amusing. "What cause would he have to fancy an elf such as myself? You have surely had too much wine this evening…"

"Oh you are right, of course. It most certainly sounds absurd, the elf prince falling for the stable master," Anira replied, not catching on that Alassë did not appreciate her joke. "Especially when she is in such a state…"

Alassë gasped and took a minute to look over herself. She had stains on her leggings and shirt, and hay in her hair. Not to mention that she probably smelled strongly of horse and the un-pleasantries that they leave behind for her to pick up. She was momentarily mortified that she had spent the afternoon with a high-elf whilst looking like such a mess.

Anira could tell that her cousin seemed distressed and laughed, attempting to comfort her, "Do not worry, mellon. You are beautiful and I am sure that every elf would desire you no matter what state you are in!" Anira placed a hand on her cousin's shoulder gently, laughing softly. Alassë brushed her hand off and huffed.

"Goheno nin, (forgive me) Anira, I am not in the mood for jokes right now. I must be off, it was a long and tiring day."

With that, she turned and left the stables.

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_Well, there's the first chapter! Hopefully you can all put up with the equine content, I promise that the story will have plenty of Legolas in it, as well as romance! I will also try to include a description of Alassë in the next chapter so that you can all get a visual of her!_

_On my profile you will find links to what _Tálagor and Sirdal look like.

_Here are the pronunciations for names so far:_

_Alassë "Ah-LAH-say"_

_Anira "Ah-NEER-ah"_

_Tálagor "tâl+lagor"_

_Sirdal - "Sir-dall"_

_I will reply to all comments, so if you have any suggestions or see anything that needs correcting, please let me know! Hateful comments will be hidden and disregarded, but criticism is welcome!_

_Thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey everybody! I'm going to be typing this up in my Visual Culture class, so hopefully it doesn't get too dull because of that! Haha…__This chapter will include descriptions of my OCs, and a bit of background, so hopefully that will clear some things up for you guys!_

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**Chapter 2:**

Alassë sat up in her bed and stretched, letting her eyes adjust to the bright morning sun. She crawled out of bed, reluctant to leave her comforter's soft embrace. Walking over to her dresser, she picked up her hair brush and looked at herself in the mirror as she ran the soft bristles through her hair. She had her father's soft grey eyes, and her mother's hair. Her thoughts wandered to her parents, and she turned towards the fireplace in her bedroom, where a painting of her parents sat on the mantle. She smiled sadly as she admired the picture, wishing that her parents were still here with her.

Setting the hair brush down, she walked over to the painting and gently laid her pale fingers on its surface, wishing she could caress her parents, talk to them. It had been many years, but she still thought of them every day, and grief filled a large part of her heart. She would remember the day her father left until the day she died.

_It was early morning, and the birds could be heard singing in the trees through the small window in the stony wall. Alassë was standing in the entrance of their living quarters, looking up to her father with bright eyes._

"_When will you return, Ada?" She asked him, smiling. She was used to her father leaving, but mostly for short periods of time._

"_I shan't be gone too long, little aew (bird)." Her father replied, patting Alassë on the head softly. "Gi melin (I love you), Alassë. You take care of your mother until I return," he chuckled, tucking a loose strand of her hair back behind her ear._

_Alassë nodded and smiled. Her dad gave her a kiss on the forehead and one final pat on the head, before rising to his feet and going over to where her mother was standing. He gave his wife a kiss and they exchanged a few words of parting._

"_Take care, Aradan. I will be here waiting for you to return," She said quietly. She did not want to cry in front of Alassë. _It is only a scouting trip_, she told herself._

"_I will be careful, nin meleth. I promise you." He whispered back, holding her hands in his own. _

That was the last time that Alassë saw her father. He hadn't returned home from that trip. She remembered that day that the elf had shown up on the doorstep and her mother had hidden herself in her bedroom for three days. Slain by orc bowmen. That's what Alassë had learned. She remembered the memorial that the King had held for her father and the other elves who hadn't returned home, that her mother had not attended. She remembered it all clearly.

Her mother had been devastated. She had hidden herself away, isolating herself from anyone who had attempted to comfort her, including Alassë. She could remember the visitors, the relatives who had all attempted to get her to come out. They had told Alassë that the grieving was natural, but she was sure now that they had lied to her to keep her from worrying too much.

Her mother passed nearly a month after Alassë's father's death. For many years, Alassë loathed her mother. She hated that her mother had left her alone, completely forgot about her. She felt that her mother had been selfish.

Gradually, her opinions changed. She began to feel that her mother had not loved her as much as she should have, and Alassë blamed herself for this. She constantly angered herself and went over every memory that she had, wishing that she had been able to save her mother.

After some time, she finally came to terms with herself and decided that it was not her fault. She found comfort at the stables with her father's horse, who had followed the surviving party back to Mirkwood after his rider had fallen. Tálagor was the only thing that Alassë had left to love in her life, the closest thing to her father. She spent so much time at the stables that the king eventually offered to give her a job there. Though she started as a stable hand, it did not take long for her co-workers to notice her abilities, and she was soon promoted to stable master. This was a turning point for Alassë, who finally had something to do that she enjoyed again.

Now, as she stood in front of the painting in her bedroom, she could feel the tears falling down her cheeks. Brushing them away, she shook her head, clearing her mind and bringing herself back from her terrible dream state.

Unfortunately, she could only turn her mind to Sirdal. Little Sirdal, who was probably waiting with her little nose poking out of her stall for her morning meal. With that thought, Alassë pulled on her clothes and hurried out of her room. Grabbing an apple from the kitchen, she picked up her bag and set off for the stables, anxious to get there before Legolas did.

"Good morning, Alassë!"

Alassë's heart jumped as she heard her name. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she looked up and saw Rilien, one of the stable hands, dumping a bucket of oats into one of the stalls.

"The horses were getting impatient with you. I fed them so that they would not break the walls down," he said good-naturedly, dumping the last bucket and turning to her.

"I am sorry, Rilien. I did not have a good morning, I hope that you will forgive me," she replied, lowering her gaze, slightly embarrassed.

"Do not worry, Alassë. I understand," he smiled warmly.

Alassë nodded, knowing that he did not understand. Still, she was grateful for his attempt to cheer her up.

It was not long before the prince showed up. He was dressed in a light brown tunic and had on a pair of brown leather riding boots. He smiled when he saw Alassë and gestured a greeting.

"Good morning, Alassë. If it is quite all right with you, I would like to take one of the fillies out today to get to know her a little better," he smiled, turning his gaze to Sirdal's stall.

Alassë swallowed and nodded, "Of course, I could not tell you otherwise, ernil nin."

There was a pause, before she realised that he most likely did not know where Sirdal was, since Alassë had let all of the horses outside after they had eaten their breakfast.

"Come, they are all outside today enjoying the sunshine."

Legolas smiled and Alassë led the way out of the stables and into the clearing where the horses were turned out. Whistling, Alassë couldn't help but laugh as a whole bunch of little heads popped up and looked at her, their ears pricked forward curiously. Whistling again, Alassë called them over to the gate. They sprang forwards, bouncing towards them on long legs, some whinnying at the excitement.

"Which would you like to see?" Alassë asked, not wanting to hear the answer, knowing what the elf prince was going to say.

"The one that I met just before I had to depart yesterday, if that is quite all right," he replied, his eyes searching for the grey filly amidst the group of foals.

Alassë nodded and called to the little filly. It didn't take long for her to make her way to the gate from the back of the group, and stick her nose through the fence, looking for treats.

Alassë gave her a small piece of her apple that she had saved from her own breakfast, and put the halter over her head, speaking to her softly.

"Today you are to be well behaved, little girl," Alassë spoke to the filly as she led her from the pasture and handed the lead rope to Legolas.

"What is her name?" He asked Alassë, looking up from talking to the filly.

"Her name is Sirdal, ernil nin, and she is a filly by my father's horse, Tálagor," she replied, immediately hoping that he would not notice how distraught she was.

Legolas nodded, looking at her somewhat quizzically, "Thank you, Alassë. I did tell you to address me by my name and not my title, did I not?" he smiled in a friendly manner.

Alassë bit her lip and smiled, a little bit embarrassed. Legolas turned back to Sirdal and removed the filly's halter, telling her that they wouldn't be needing it. He turned and handed it to Alassë, still smiling.

Once Legolas and Sirdal had departed to the grassy area used for training, Alassë stood for some time by the gate. Her mind urged her to go, to give the pair some space, but her heart ached to run to the filly and snatch her up and hold her close, safe from harm. But she knew that she could not, and eventually retreated to the stables to watch from the window.

As she watched the filly dance around the prince, she had to admit to herself that Legolas had already developed a close bond with the filly. She knew that the filly would have only the best if she was to become the prince's mount. She would be able to stretch her legs, gallop through the woods. See many places, and learn many things. Alassë could not deny that Legolas would care greatly for Sirdal. She leaned on the window sill and watched the pair until the sun began to set behind the trees. Finally, she was able to tear herself away and head home, though she was deeply torn inside.

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_Yay! Second chapter done. Hopefully this clears some things up for you guys. I was planning on having a bit more information about Sirdal and Tálagor in this chapter, but it was starting to get a little long for my liking. I hope that this chapter isn't too boring, since not much happened really._

_New character pronunciations:_

_Rilien "_Rill-ee-ehn"

_Keep the reviews coming, they really do help me to make the story better for you all!_

_-Eru_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello everyone! Thanks for the follows and reviews so far! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter, I hope to make this one have a few personal moments between Legolas and Alassë. Hopefully I captured their emotions well enough for you guys to really have a connection (because that's why I read fanfiction, anyways). Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 3:**

Alassë nodded approvingly to herself as she tasted the stew she was making. Happy with the results, she spooned some into a bowl and sat down at the table to eat her dinner. As she ate, she looked out her window and noticed that the leaved were beginning to change colours.

"Eryn Lasgalen will not be the land of Green Leaves for much longer" she said to herself, chuckling at her lame joke.

She didn't care much for autumn, since it meant that winter was just around the corner. She had always favoured the spring time, when new life began and all became green again after the stark white of winter. She was so caught up in her thoughts that the knock on her door made her jump, and she dropped her spoon into her stew ungracefully.

"Enter, mellon (friend)," she called, picking her spoon back up, thinking it must be her cousin.

Alassë heard the door open and soft footsteps on the wooden floor as her cousin entered.

"Forgive me, Alassë, for disturbing you during your dinner." That wasn't Anira's voice.

Alassë stood up and turned around, shocked to see Legolas standing in her doorway, smiling. He seemed as though he was trying not to laugh. She set down her spoon and bowed her head, ashamed that she had not let the prince in herself.

"Ernil nin (my prince)! I was not expecting you, I am sorry. I have not prepared enough food for-"

"Alassë, it is quite all right, there is nothing to forgive," Legolas chuckled, walking over to join Alassë at the table. He pulled out a chair and sat across from her, resting his chin in his hands. "Please sit, Alassë, your meal will get cold" He smiled.

Alassë flushed, embarrassed. She tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and sat back down, hesitantly picking her spoon back up. She was wondering what Legolas was doing here. He must have made up his mind about Sirdal.

"I have come to a decision, as you have probably assumed," Legolas started again, looking at Alassë, who looked back at him. She already knew what he was going to say. She had been prepared for this.

"You have chosen the filly, Sirdal, I am guessing?" Alassë asked plainly.

"Yes," He answered, his eyes bright, "I believe that she is the one."

Alassë nodded. "I agree that you two will make an excellent pair." She was happy for the prince, honestly. She just couldn't bring herself to express it.

"Forgive me, Legolas. I am feeling… Out of sorts this evening," she spoke quietly, looking down at her stew, suddenly not hungry anymore.

Legolas said nothing, a thoughtful expression on his face. Alassë looked up and was slightly unnerved to see the prince looking at her, slightly concerned.

"Alassë, are you all right?"

Alassë put on a smile and nodded. Neither of them said anything for a moment. Suddenly, the prince spoke up. "Tálagor, is he your own horse?"

Alassë was relieved for the change of conversation. "Yes, he is," She replied. "He used to belong to my ada (father)… " She added, after a short pause.

Legolas watched as a pained expression crossed Alassë's face. He furrowed his brows slightly, sensing a touchy subject. He took a breath and was about to change the topic when Alassë looked up and continued.

"My father was slain by orcs, and Tálagor followed the surviving elves back to Mirkwood. It's been several years, but I do miss him so…" She continued, thinking of the last time she saw her father. It felt good to talk to someone about her father. Alassë could feel the tears threatening to fall, but she fought them back and composed herself. She could not cry now, not in front of the prince.

"I'm sorry…" Legolas said quietly. "I know what it is like, losing a parent," He added, smiling at her sadly.

Alassë sat quietly, stirring her now cold stew. She did not know what to say. She had known this, of course. It was known by all who lived under King Thranduil.

"My mother was slain also."

Alassë looked up and saw Legolas smiling sadly at her. She took a breath and smiled also, genuinely this time, grateful that Legolas understood her situation.

"If you will excuse me, Alassë, I must return to the Halls now," Legolas said after a moment of peaceful silence. He stood quietly and pushed in the chair he had been sitting in. Glancing back at the table, he smiled sheepishly. "I apologize about your stew. It smelled delicious,"

Alassë laughed and rose from the table, following the prince to the door. "Do not worry about the stew, Legolas. I enjoyed our talk tonight." She meant it.

The prince nodded and smiled. "I think that it is safe to say that I will see you at the stables tomorrow?"

"Of course," She smiled warmly.

"Good night, Alassë," Legolas said as he opened the door.

"Good night, Legolas," Alassë replied.

When the door closed behind the prince, Alassë stood still in the silence of the cottage. It had gotten quite dark, with only the setting sun illuminating the room. She picked up her abandoned bowl of stew and went to the kitchen to dump it out before she decided that she would retire early.

After she had removed her legging and camisole, she slipped into her nightgown and crawled into her bed. Lying on her back, she stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out just how she felt about Legolas. She did not dwell on it long, for soon she had drifted off to the land of dreams.

Tálagor nickered and nuzzled Alassë's hand, asking for another piece of the apple that he knew what hidden under her jacket. Laughing, she reached under the fabric and pulled out the treat. While the grey horse munched happily on the treat, Alassë brushed his silver coat, humming softly to herself. Jealous of her neighbour, Sirdal poked her nose over the wall and nickered, begging for a piece of the apple. Fishing a piece out, Alassë offered it to the foal, who snatched it up and bobbed her head as she chewed it, quite pleased with herself.

Looking up as the stable door opened, Alassë smiled as Legolas walked in.

"Good morning, Legolas," She said warmly. She was feeling very good today, and knew that her talk last evening really had done wonders for her.

"Good morning, Alassë," He replied, coming over and giving Tálagor a pat and a scratch behind his ears. The stallion closed his eyes and leaned into the prince's fingers, his lips quivering. Alassë laughed.

"I think he enjoys that!" She walked around to the stallions head, resting her hand on the top of his neck. She turned to Legolas. "Will you be taking Sirdal out today?"

"Yes, I would like to get her used to my voice," he replied, leaning out the filly's stall and reaching out to her. She bounded over and sniffed his hands, disappointed when she found them empty.

Alassë leaned on Tálagor's back and watched silently as Legolas and Sirdal left the stables and headed outside. Sighing, she buried her face into the stallion's warm coat and breathed in deeply, enjoying that horsey smell that she had grown so used to. She briefly wondered why some elves hated the smell so much, and laughed to herself.

Lifting herself up from the stallion's back, she left the stall and wandered over to the window sill to watch the prince and his filly. She was feeling much more at ease about the situation, but still felt a pang of sadness when she watched the pair. Or was it jealousy, perhaps fear? She wasn't sure, but she didn't enjoy it.

Legolas must have noticed her watching them, for he soon called out for her to join them outside. She quietly made her way outside and over to the grassy area where Sirdal was grazing contently.

"I am going to take Sirdal out for a walk and want to invite you to come with us," Legolas looked up at Alassë from where he was sitting in the green grass.

Alassë smiled and took the hand that the prince offered her, pulling him up. "Of course, I would love to join you," she smiled.

Legolas whistled for Sirdal, who came trotting over to them, and they set off down the path into the woods.

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_Not the ideal spot to end the chapter, but in relation to the other two chapters that I have written, this one was getting too long for my liking. So here it is! I hope that it's not too boring, with so much dialogue and not much action. If you guys have any suggestions, I would love to hear them! In my opinion, the readers are just as important as the writer! I should hopefully have the next chapter up by tomorrow evening!_

_Thanks for reading!_

_-Eru_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

The two elves were quiet as they entered the forest. They walked side by side, with the filly walking along quietly in front of them, her little ears flicking this way and that, picking up every little noise. Alassë took a deep breath and took in her surroundings. She loved the forest this time of year, when the leaves were just begging to change colours. Though the leaves had not yet lost their green, she could feel as the trees prepared for their winter sleep. Most of the flowers that had begun to move back into the forest since the death of Sauron were preparing for the change of seasons as well, turning themselves in and shedding their petals, though some flowers still bloomed despite the fact that the summer was coming to an end. Their orange and yellow petals helped to keep the forest warm despite the shortening of the days.

As she walked through the forest, she forgot about the prince beside her and the filly before them. She was brought back to walks through the forest behind her cottage with her father. She would pick the flowers and bring them home as gifts for her mother, and the cottage was constantly smelling of their sweet nectar. Lost in her memories, she found herself smiling. Not as sad smile, but a genuine one. Legolas noticed this, and turned towards the stable master.

"You seem to be in a good mood this morning, Alassë." He smiled, feeling somewhat relieved. He had noticed her watching him and Sirdal from the stable window, and had been worried about her. But now that they were outside in the woods, the prince allowed himself to relax and enjoy her company.

Alassë nodded slowly, still smiling as she turned her thoughts away from her past and back to her companion. She could not explain exactly how she felt, but it felt good. Perhaps it was just the lovely surroundings, or the sight of the little grey filly who was now trotting ahead of them happily.

"It is a beautiful day for a walk, I am glad that you asked me to accompany you," she replied honestly. Though she had been battling her conflicting emotions for the past few days, she had grown acquainted to the elf prince's company. Since Legolas' visit to her cottage, she felt comfortable discussing with him.

Up ahead of them, Sirdal spooked at a rabbit which had emerged from the trees. She snorted and froze, her ears pricked forward. Clearly startled and yet unafraid, she tossed her head after a moment's hesitation and trotted after it. Deciding that it did not want to play with the rambunctious foal, the rabbit ran away and disappeared into its den a little ways down the path.

The elf prince laughed easily, and Alassë joined in, deciding that her happiness was most likely due to the forest around her. Like most elves, she found it difficult to be miserable when she was surrounded by so much beautiful life. Whatever the reason, she allowed herself to enjoy it, forgetting her troubles for the moment.

The trio soon arrived at Alassë's favourite spot. Closing her eyes as they neared the edge of the path, she listened to the sound of the water running over the rocks and inhaled the refreshing smell of the plants that grew along its banks. They had come upon an area where the river ran side by side with the path they had been following. The bank was flat with an abrupt drop, but the river itself was not deep nor dangerous. Instead, it meandered through the forest, and was a popular area for swimming during the hottest summer days.

Letting Sirdal graze close to the riverbank, Legolas wandered over to the water's edge and sat down, removing his boots and allowing his feet to dangle in the cool water. Alassë followed, sitting down beside him after he invited her to do so. After removing her own brown leather boots, she lowered her feet into the river, sighing happily as the water ran across her toes.

Neither one of them said a word as they sat beside each other. The breeze ruffled the leaves on the trees, and the filly behind them grazed happily on the grass. Even with the water burbling over the rocks in the river, it was quiet. Suddenly, Alassë realised that she was alone with the prince of Mirkwood. She felt her stomach flip-flop, but she wasn't sure if she felt uncomfortable or not. Should she be? Her thoughts trailed off to her cousin's words once again, but she shook her head and brushed them off just as she had the other day. Legolas must have sensed her change in moods, however slight, since he looked up from the river and broke the silence.

"Have you been working in the stables long?"

Alassë laughed, thankful for the conversation. "Well, I do not know what you would consider to be a long time, but I have been working there for 12 years, which is most definitely not a long time," she paused, before continuing. "I am still young," she laughed again, curious as to what the prince's response would be.

Legolas joined her in laughing before he spoke up again, his eyes bright. "You seem wise beyond your years, Alassë. I would not guess that you were so young."

Alassë smiled, wondering just how old Legolas was in comparison to her 136 years. For a moment she allowed herself to wonder, imagining all of the places and things the prince must surely have experienced. A pang of jealousy hit her, and she wondered for just a brief moment if she would ever venture beyond the protection of Eryn Lasgalen. Despite the death of Sauron, evil still lurked in Middle Earth, and Alassë had no intentions of going looking for it. But she yearned to see the rest of the world. Pushing the thoughts from her mind, she looked down at her feet.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, looking back up at the older elf. He mused for a few seconds before looking back at her.

"Well," he paused, still looking at her thoughtfully. "I cannot say, exactly. I suppose it is simply how you handle yourself. You are very polite, and you take such good care of the horses." He concluded, a smile at his lips.

"Thank you, Legolas. Your words are kind," she said warmly, truly meaning it. It was not often that she received thanks for her hard work. Not that she looked for it, and she certainly did not expect it. She considered it thanks enough that she was rewarded with a place to live and food in her cupboards. Without meaning it, she spoke softly, "it is not often I hear compliments."

"I do not believe that," Legolas said, turning from her with a smile still on his lips. Alassë turned back to look at him and was about to question what he meant by that, but she stopped herself. Silence consumed them once again and Alassë found herself really looking at Legolas for the first time. His golden hair blew gently in the breeze, and the sun reflected off of his pale skin and danced in his eyes. She realised once again that she was alone with him. How many she-elves would long to be in her position right now, she found herself thinking. She knew that the prince of Eryn Lasgalen was most admired by the female elves in the realm. Now, as she sat by the riverbank beside him, Alassë realised why.

"We should return to the stables, Alassë." Legolas turned to face her, and Alassë felt her cheeks flame up as she realised that she had been staring. If he noticed, he did not mention it. Alassë nodded, attempting to regain her composure. She knew that she was blushing and hoped that Legolas would not question her about it. They both pulled their feet from the river and put on their boots. Legolas stood first and offered Alassë his hand. She accepted it and stood as he helped her up. Whistling to Sirdal, they set off back down the path towards the stabled.

The sun had already begun to set behind the trees, and the forest was getting darker in the nearing twilight. They walked all the way back in peaceful silence, both elves content to remain silent. Thankfully, the trip was not awkward, despite her embarrassment back at the river.

They soon made it back to the stables, which were lit up with lamps despite there being no one present. Alassë figured that Rilien must have left them on knowing that they had not yet returned, since Sirdal's stall would have been empty by the time he had left. Once the filly was tucked away in her stall and the lamps extinguished, Legolas offered to walk Alassë home again.

The walk was short, and Alassë was surprisingly disappointed when the familiar sight of her cottage came into view. She had enjoyed her time with Legolas today. She felt that she had made a friend out of him despite her worries for Sirdal. They soon arrived at her cottage. Opening the door, Alassë turned towards Legolas.

"Thank you for the wonderful walk," she smiled up at the prince, who returned the gesture.

"I am glad that you enjoyed it, Alassë," he replied, his blue eyes meeting hers. He took her hands into his own and brought them to his lips, kissing them softly. Alassë's heart skipped a beat, and she felt the blush return to her cheeks. She looked down slightly, before looking back up into the prince's eyes. He let go of her hands and smiled.

"Good night, Alassë."

Good night, Legolas," Alassë said with a shy smile, tucking a loose stand of her hair back behind her ear. The prince nodded politely before turning to leave.

Ducking inside, Alassë quietly closed the door behind her before leaning herself against it, staring into the darkness around her. It was a simple gesture, a common one too, she thought to herself. But butterflies danced in her stomach as she took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. Legolas had not done that before.

Pushing herself off of the wooden door, she stood up and shook her head. She could not figure out how she should feel about the prince. It was foolish to think that he could have feelings for her. She chuckled and told herself that she could not have feelings for Legolas, not when she did not know how he felt about her.

Mentally exhausted from the day's events, Alassë walked past the kitchen and straight to her bed room. Quickly, she changed from her clothes into her sleeping gown and got into bed. Sleep found her quickly, and Alassë was soon dreaming of little grey fillies and blue-eyed princes.

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_Here is the next chapter! Sorry that it took a little longer than I had originally anticipated. _

_I'm quite happy with this chapter. I hope that you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I hope that this is also a good taste of what is to come. I'll warn you that Alassë is stubborn, though! And pretty confused at the moment ;)_

_I'm not as happy with the ending as I am with the rest of the chapter, so if you guys have any tips or suggestions for a better wording of that last line, please tell me in a review! Also, I love to heard what you guys think of the story so far! Thanks for the follows and favorites too, guys!_

_-Eru_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hello guys! I'm snowed in today, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to write! I'll probably type up several chapters today and update periodically for the next few days. As always, thank you for the reviews, and for reading! Hope that you enjoy reading this chapter!_

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**Chapter 5:**

Alassë lay awake in her bed, her golden hair sprawled across her pillow. She stared across her room towards her mantle, looking at the painting of her parents. She had been awake for a while now, her thoughts of yesterday's walk filling her mind. How did she feel about the prince? As an image of Legolas popped into her mind, Alassë felt the butterflies return in her stomach. Pursing her lips, she thought about her parents. If they were here, she could have asked them about her feelings. Was this the beginning of love? She had no idea what love felt like.

Shaking her head, she slowly sat up and leaned against the headboard. No, that wasn't true. Her parents had loved her, and she had loved them as well.

"34 years ago, I lost you…" She said quietly, her eyes filled with sadness, remembering her mother and father.

With a sigh, she swung her legs around off the side of the bed and stood up, stretching. She went to her closet and pulled out her tunic and leggings. After she was dressed and had brushed and braided her hair, she wandered out of her bedroom and into the kitchen.

Her thoughts too preoccupied to bother with cooking breakfast, she searched in her pantry for something to eat. Finding some biscuits that she had baked the day before, she took them out to the table and sat down. It did not take her long to finish her quick meal, and she was soon up again. She had already decided what she was going to do this morning. After she had put away her plate in the kitchen, she headed out to visit her cousin.

It didn't take Alassë long to reach Anira's cottage. Since the two elves were so close, Alassë had been sure to acquire a house near to her friend. Walking up the steps to the front porch, she knocked lightly on the door, hoping that her cousin was home. Sure enough, Alassë heard soft footsteps from within the cottage. A moment later, the door opened and Anira appeared.

"Good morning, cousin! I was wondering if I could have a talk with you, I do hope you aren't too busy," Alassë said cheerfully as they embraced in a hug.

"Of course, Alassë. Come, let's walk," Anira replied softly, sensing that Alassë had something important that she needed to speak to her about.

The two elves walked away from Anira's cottage and down the road towards the park at the edge of the city. It was one of Anira's favourite places to visit, and although Alassë preferred the forest, she certainly didn't mind the park.

"Mellon, what is it that you need to tell me?" Anira asked with a twinkle in her eye, too curious to wait until they reached the park.

"Well, ernil Legolas has chosen Sirdal as his horse," Alassë said. Although she was still worried for the filly, she was finding it easier to accept now that she had spent so much time with the pair.

"That's a wonderful honour, Alassë," Anira turned to look at her cousin, sensing that Alassë was not one hundred percent content with the decision. "Tálagor must be proud of his daughter," she added, smiling at her own little joke.

Alassë chuckled along with her cousin, thinking about how she was going to bring up the topic of Legolas. "He is a proud sire," she added, smiling.

They soon arrived at the park, and made their way to the pond at the far edge of the area, where they found a bench to sit on as they talked.

"I will miss her dearly when they are gone," Alassë started back up, thinking about when the filly would be grown and ready to carry the prince on his trips. It wouldn't be long, the filly was already nearing a year old. After that, she would grow strong quickly and be ready to ride.

"I'm sure that you will be seeing quite a lot of her, Alassë. Especially since you seem to be spending an awful lot of time with ernil Legolas," Anira giggled. Alassë joined in, slightly uncomfortably, and looked down at her hands. Leave it to Anira to jump right to it.

"Actually, mellon, that is what I wanted to discuss with you," she spoke quietly, worried that someone would hear her, though the two were alone by the pond.

Anira raised her eyebrows and cocked her head to the side. Alassë looked up at her cousin but looked away shyly when she saw the look on her face.

"What did I tell you? The prince has his eye on you, Alassë," she laughed teasingly upon seeing her cousin react to her antics.

Alassë felt herself blushing. "I'm not so sure about Legolas, but I am also not so sure about how I feel," she said, being completely honest with her friend. She was the only person that she felt comfortable talking to about such things.

"You think that you have feelings for the prince, mellon?" Anira's eyes widened and a mischievous smile spread across her lips. Alassë didn't know what to say. Did she have feelings for Legolas? Or did she consider him simply a friend?

"I do not know, cousin. That is the problem." She answered honestly after a moment. Suddenly, another thought popped into her mind. "Also, he is a prince, and I am a stable worker. You do not think that presents a problem?"

Anira looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to think up a way to help her cousin. "Just give it time, Alassë. That is about the only thing to do, until you know just how you feel about the prince. The prince is a kind elf, I am sure that your title will not be a worry to him."

Alassë smiled at her cousin, agreeing. It was simple advice, and really her only option at this point, but Alassë was glad for the help that Anira had given her. She felt a lot better now that she had talked about it with her cousin, and no longer felt scared of her feelings. For now, she would concentrate on how she felt. She could worry about him being a prince later.

"Thank you, Anira. I must be on my way now, I have work to attend to at the stables." Alassë politely excused herself and left the park, her heart feeling lighter than it had in many years.

At the barn, Alassë was almost surprised to find Sirdal in her stall. Walking over to greet the filly, she turned her head and took a quick peek around the stables, expecting to see Legolas somewhere around. But she saw no one but Rilien, who was busy cleaning the stalls at the other end of the barn. After giving Tálagor a good long grooming with still no sign of the prince, Alassë had had enough waiting and decided that she and Tálagor needed some fresh air. Grabbing a bridle, she tacked up the big grey horse and led him outside, before hopping on gracefully. Nudging the stallion with her heels, they set off down the path.

Her spirits high, she asked Tálagor for a canter and they sped down the path. Closing her eyes, Alassë smiled and laughed as she felt the stallion's muscles beneath her and her hair whipping in the wind behind her. It had been a long time since she had done this, much too long. After going quite a ways away from the inner city, she slowed Tálagor to a walk.

They had not walked far when a noise to her right made Alassë start. Pulling Tálagor up, she sat still and listened, certain that they were not alone. When she heard nothing, she quickly dismounted and motioned to Tálagor to stay, before making her way into the trees, being sure not to make a sound. Her heart raced as she walked through the woods, bent over slightly to avoid being seen. Her heart raced as she heard the same noise again, closer this time. Suddenly, fear gripped her. What was she doing? She was all alone, and had no clue what to do if she found herself in trouble. Still, she carried on, intent on finding the source of the noise.

Approaching a clearing in the trees, she silently made her way towards the edge of the trees. Huddling in a bush, she lifted her head slightly above the leaves, just enough so that she would be able to see if-

_Whoosh!_

Gasping, she whipped her head back into the safety of the bush. Someone had shot an arrow at her! Heart thumping in her chest harder than ever, she remained silent, afraid that she would be found. Who could be in these woods? Why would they shoot at her? Eryn Lasgalen was supposed to be free of evil creatures! Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she concentrated with her ears. She heard the shooter pull another arrow and notch it onto their bow. Her heart in her throat, she waited for the shooter to let it loose.

She heard the bowstring being pulled back, heard the archer steady his breath, and then the arrow was flying past her again, above her head, and landing solidly in the tree to her right. Daring to open her eyes, she considered the archer's terrible aim. Turning her head to the right, she noticed the target carved into the tree around a collection of arrows. Suddenly feeling quiet silly, she parted the branches of the bush to see who the archer was.

It was Legolas. Realising that there was no threat, she was unable to contain her laughter. She noticed him pause and stare in the direction of the bush, before calling out.

"Whoever is in there, please show yourself!"

Alassë raised her head above the leaves and smiled nervously, hoping that Legolas wouldn't think that she had been spying on him.

Legolas lowered his bow and stared at her for a brief moment with an expression of shock and confusion, before quickly joining in on the laughter. "What are you doing, Alassë? I had no idea of your presence, I could have shot you!" He pretended to be angry as he teased her. However, he was right.

Picking a few twigs from her hair, Alassë clambered out from the bush and into the clearing. She put a hand over her chest and waited for her heartbeat to steady. "I thought that you were someone trying to shoot me," she chuckled as Legolas came over to join her by the treeline.

"I had seen something poking out from that bush, but had no idea that it was you, mellon!" He said with a slightly scolding tone, nodding to the bush.

Realising how much trouble she could have caused, she felt the blood rise to her cheeks. She looked down slightly, feeling sheepish. "Goheno nin, Legolas, I will be more careful from now on." She meant it. "No more exploring mysterious sounds alone in the woods," she said, more to herself than to the prince, who laughed easily.

"So, you ventured out searching for trouble, is that it?" the prince joked as he looked at her. Alassë shook her head and whistled, remembering Tálagor who she had left on the path. The big grey horse came through the trees and walked over to where the two elves were talking. Nuzzling his rider's hand, Alassë smiled and pulled a slice of carrot from her tunic and offered it to him.

"I was out riding and I heard your arrows," she replied to his question, turning back to him briefly before looking at the target on the tree behind her. He was good, very good. But of course he was, being the prince and having gone on that amazing adventure to destroy the ring.

"You're quite talented," she said, realising how ridiculously obvious her statement was, but she had to say it anyways. She was jealous of his ability, having long been wishing that she knew the slightest bit about combat.

The prince smiled his thanks and walked over to the tree, where he began to retrieve his arrows. "I could teach you, if you would like."

Alassë raised her eyebrows. "Teach me? I'm afraid that I would never learn, Legolas. I quite think that I would be a terrible shot."

"Anyone can be taught to shoot, Alassë. It simple takes patience," he turned back around, now that he had pulled all of the arrows from the bark, "and a good instructor," he finished.

Alassë laughed, wishing that he was not royalty so she could have given him a slap for being so arrogant. She followed the archer back to where he had left his bow, and asked him if he would be doing anymore practicing.

"Not today, I need to return for dinner tonight, my ada is expecting me," he replied as they began to walk back towards the trees. They soon arrived back on the path, and instead of mounting Tálagor, Alassë opted to be polite and lead the stallion beside Legolas. They were silent for the first bit of the walk, but Legolas soon spoke up.

"Have you received your invitation to the Feast of Colours, Alassë?"

Alassë shook her head, sighing. Public events had never been her thing, especially ones that involved getting dressed up and being impeccably polite. She always found herself on the outside of conversations, since the only close friend she had was her cousin, who was much more social then her. The Feast of Colours was held every year at the beginning of autumn, to celebrate the change of seasons. There was singing, drinking, and her least favourite activity of all, dancing. She always left before the partying began, and the only reason that she attended at all was to be polite.

"Surely you will be in attendance?" The prince continued, noticing Alassë's lack of enthusiasm.

"Of course," she replied with a smile. She did not want to seem rude, but she really didn't want to go.

It was dark by the time the two elves returned to the stables. Tálagor walked right to his stall and started to munch on the hay that Rilien had given the horses, who was just on his way out. Alassë waved to him and he returned the gesture before leaving. Once she had Tálagor settled in for the night, and Legolas had checked on Sirdal, they departed.

Legolas walked Alassë to her cottage again, neither of them saying a word, content to walk silently side by side. Once they had arrived at the little house, Legolas went up the steps first and opened the door for her. Alassë stepped inside and turned around to face the prince.

"Farewell, Alassë," Legolas said with a smile. "I am glad that I did not shoot you," he added with a chuckle.

"As am I," she responded, joining in on the laughter.

As he had the night before, Legolas reached out and picked up her hands, giving them a gentle kiss. With a shy smile, Alassë felt her cheeks go hot as the prince let go of her hands.

"Good night, Alassë," Legolas said quietly, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Good night, Legolas," Alassë replied, meeting his eyes shyly.

Once Legolas had left and she had closed the door behind her, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes while her heart fluttered in her chest.

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_There have are, guys! This chapter got much longer than my other chapters, and as the story progresses I am hoping that this will be the standard length. I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter!_

_A couple notes on the elvish horses:_

_Since elves are so light, their horses can be ridden at a younger age than by men. Normally you don't back a horse until at least the age of three (preferably 4), to avoid damaging their backs._

_They are a heavily-build horse, but not as heavy as the horses of Rohan (for example) since they do not need to be able to carry so much weight. I envision them resembling a thoroughbred x draft horse (if you want to, you can look it up on Google but I suspect most of you won't. I just enjoy giving as much info as possible!)_

_Thanks for reading, please remember to review and let me know if you have any suggestions! _

_-Eru_


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello everyone! Sorry that this chapter took a bit longer to post. I had to think about what was going to happen and wanted to make sure that the plot made sense before I got down to writing it out! Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 6:**

Alassë hummed to herself as she finished scrubbing the last bit of her floor. Tossing the cloth into the bucket beside her, she looked around the house, happy with the outcome. She had been cleaning all morning, and was finally done. The morning had been damp and cloudy, the skies looking like they would let loose at any given moment, so Alassë had taken advantage of the gloomy weather to do something inside. Surprisingly, however, the clouds had rolled over and the sun was beginning to peak through. Standing up, she tucked a strand of hair that had come loose from her braid back behind her ear and smiled.

After she had emptied the bucket and put away her cleaning supplies, she fixed herself some lunch and decided to head down to the baths to wash up. Finishing up her lunch, she grabbed a fresh tunic and her towels and headed out. The clouds had disappeared, leaving a fresh blue sky behind them. The sun shone down on the city, and many elves were out and about. Merchants had opened their shops for the afternoon, and families were out enjoying the last warm days of summer.

It didn't take long for Alassë to reach the bathing pools. She made her way to the female area and set her things down beside the pool. After she had undressed, she waded into the pool and leaned back against the wall, enjoying the warmth of the water after her busy morning. She closed her eyes and sighed, content to lounge in the water for a little while. Despite the beautiful weather, the pool was mostly empty, save for a small group of elves halfway across the pool. They were chattering fairly loudly, and Alassë opened one eye to take a peek to see if she recognised them. Though she didn't know them by name, she did know that they were from higher families than herself. Not wanting to bother herself with their business, she closed her eyes again and tried to push their voices from her mind.

"I heard he was inviting a guest to the Feast of Colours!" One of the voices pushed past the boundaries in Alassë's mind and her eyes opened up once again, curious now as to who they were talking about.

"Ernil Legolas?" Another voice cooed. Alassë's ears perked up, listening intently now at the mention of her friend's name.

"The handsome prince…" the group sighed collectively. Alassë bit her lip. He was inviting a guest to the Feast? She shook her head, reminding herself that she was in no position to court the prince of Eryn Lasgalen.

"Yes, a special guest, I heard that as well! Oh, I do hope that it is me…" A third voice chimed in, clearly smitten with the prince.

Alassë dared to turn her head slightly to watch them out of the corner of her eye. There were five of them, sitting in the corner of the pool, doing far more chatting than bathing.

"They surely know Legolas," Alassë said to herself, sitting up straighter and beginning to finger through her hair. She couldn't help but feel her heart drop slightly at the news of her friend inviting a guest to the Feast. She reached behind her and grabbed the bar of soap that she had brought with her, running it through her hair slowly, listening as they piped up once again.

"No, no, dear. It is surely I. I have known him since we were young, and he has finally confessed his undying love for me to himself," another new voice joined in, a slightly icy tone to her voice. Alassë rolled her eyes and rinsed her hair, sensing an argument was about to break out.

As the group bickered with one another about which one of them loved the prince the most, Alassë stood and left the pool. She quickly dried herself off with the towel that she had brought from her cottage and dressed in her fresh clothes. She left the pools in a hurry, deciding to wait to brush her hair when she got home. She was too anxious to leave the love-struck she-elves behind her.

She soon arrived back at her cottage and sat down on the couch, thankful for the silence that her home offered. After combing through her hair with her fingers, she ungracefully flopped down on her back and stared up at the ceiling, wondering what to do with the rest of her day. It didn't take her long to remember that she had promised to have the feed orders for Rilien ready by tomorrow. Rolling back off the couch and heading into her room, she opened up one of her drawers and pulled out some parchment and sat down at her desk.

"Last month, we were under budget," she thought to herself, analysing the numbers as she chewed on the end of her pen. Taking it out of her mouth and dipping it into the bottle of ink next to the papers, she scribbled in a few numbers before pausing again. "So this month, we can afford to overstock slightly in preparation for the winter months."

She went through the orders, reading them carefully several times before writing anything down. She was able to concentrate well enough for the first little while, but her thoughts soon drifted back to what she had heard at the bathing pools. Who could it be? She must be beautiful, and wealthy, surely. Alassë felt a pang of jealousy at this thought. Not for the wealth, but for the opportunities it presented. Such as courting the prince. She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts from her head.

She shifted her vision back down to her work and continued to pen in the numbers. But no matter what she did, her thoughts kept turning to the Prince's special guest. For a brief moment, she let herself wonder if it could be her. Alassë's heart fluttered. Could it be? They had shared many laughs, but could they eventually become more than friends? Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stop. She glanced down at her work and realised that she had made several mistakes.

Sighing, she redid the last sheet and bound them up. Legolas was a prince, and she was part of the working class, she forced herself to think. She finally came to the sad conclusion that it could not be her, and frowned. She could be friends with Legolas, but never more.

Entering the stables, Alassë breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed that they were empty. She also noticed that Sirdal's stall was empty. Legolas must have taken her for a walk.

Turning away from the filly's stall, she smiled as Tálagor pricked his ears in her direction and nickered softly. She gave him a quick pat on his forehead and decided that she would take the stallion for another walk. Not wanting to hang around too long in case Legolas returned, she brushed and tacked up quickly.

After mounting, they headed off into the woods. Not wanting to push the aging stallion after their gallop the other day, Alassë was content to stay at a walk as she took in the forest around her. It amazed her every year just how quickly autumn crept through the forest. Leaves that had just days ago been green were now beginning to turn to vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red. Though none of them had yet fallen, she knew that in no time at all the trees would be bare and the snow would be drifting on the breeze. Alassë shuddered at the thought. Though the cold did not bother her or the other elves, she never felt warm in the winter. The stark white of the snow always made her feel so alone, though she could never really understand it.

As the stallion beneath her marched on through the woods, Alassë felt herself relaxing. It had already been such a stressful day, and it was only nearing mid-afternoon. The fresh air seemed to be doing her a lot of good. She closed her eyes and let Tálagor pick his way along the path.

Soon she could hear the distant sounds of the marketplace and realised that they had traveled through the entire length of the path. They emerged at the opposite end of the city, and Tálagor lifted his head up and snorted excitedly at the unfamiliar surroundings. Patting his neck, Alassë urged the grey stallion out of the forest and into the bustle of the market. The clip-clop of his hooves were lost in the sounds of the city, and though it was far from peaceful, Alassë felt herself smiling. Children played with toys on the road while merchants offered services and goods to passing elves. Some looked up at Alassë as she rode by, expecting a warrior. Most often these were younger elves, and she smiled when they looked up at her and she saw the confused looks on their faces.

Once they arrived back at the stables, she hopped off Tálagor and led him back inside to his stall, where he immediately started to munch on the grain that Rilien had left for him. Peeking over into the next stall over, Alassë noticed that Sirdal had returned. Smiling, she removed Tálagor's bridle and went to hang it back up. After she had brushed the stallion's coat, she gave both of the horses a kiss on their muzzles and left to return home.

Humming to herself, she walked along the street with a bounce in her step, reflecting on her ride. As she was rounding the last corner before her cottage, she heard a voice calling her name. Her stomach flipped as she recognised it as Legolas' voice, and she turned around. Legolas was not far behind her, a smile on his face as he approached her.

"Alassë! I must have just missed you at the stables, I noticed that Tálagor was gone," he said cheerfully as he walked up to her.

Alassë smiled and nodded, "Yes, I took him for another ride. We actually ended up at the other end of the city!" she found herself laughing as she recounted her ride.

"You were just returning home, I am guessing. Come, let us go together," he offered. Alassë nodded her thanks and they continued towards her home. Legolas was not quiet long and soon spoke up again. "I have something to ask of you, mellon," he spoke softly, and Alassë felt her heart jump into her throat. The butterflies returned and fluttered around violently in her stomach.

"You may ask anything, Legolas," she smiled back at him, trying not to seem as nervous as she felt. Clenching her fists, she told herself not to get her hopes up.

They arrived at Alassë's cottage soon after and climbed the steps up to the door. Opening it, she went inside and invited Legolas to join her.

"Would you like anything to eat, Legolas?" Alassë piped up once she had offered him a seat at the table inside the cottage.

"No, thank you, Alassë," He shook his head and smiled politely. Alassë nodded and pulled up her own seat at the table and sat down across from him. Legolas looked across the table and their eyes met. Alassë felt her cheeks getting pink as she tried not to feel nervous.

"I would like to ask you to accompany me to the Feast of Colours," he spoke up suddenly, his voice warm and his eyes soft.

Alassë's heart skipped a beat. Had she heard that correctly? Deciding quickly that she had indeed heard correctly, she smiled.

"Of course, Legolas. I would love to attend the Feast as your guest!" she replied in a failed attempt to hide her excitement. The butterflies danced in her stomach and she was sure that her face had gone beet red. She could not believe what had happened. She was the one that the high-elves had been talking about in the bathing pools. They would be so disappointed when news spread of who the prince had asked… Suddenly, Alassë remembered something and her expression changed to embarrassment and she lowered her gaze slightly.

"Legolas, I… I have nothing suitable to wear," she whispered, ashamed. She had been planning on wearing one of her mother's dresses to the feast, but now that she would be attending with the prince, she knew that it would not be decent enough. Though it was a beautiful dress, it was considered outdated and she did not want to bring shame to Legolas by wearing it. To her surprise, Legolas simply laughed and reached forward, taking his hand in hers.

"Worry not, mellon. I will arrange for a seamstress to come by and have one made especially for you."

Alassë could only stare in gratitude. Not only would she be receiving a new dress, but she would be having it tailored just for her! A smiled crept back onto her lips and she thanked him, realising that she was still blushing. Satisfied with Alassë's answer, Legolas smiled back and squeezed her hand gently.

"I am terribly sorry, but I must be on my way," he stood, pushing the chair back quietly. Finding her voice, Alassë stood as well.

"Thank you for…" she paused, unsure of what exactly to thank him for. "Thank you for everything," she stuttered, knowing that what she had said didn't really make much sense. She kicked herself mentally for making herself seem dim witted. Legolas chuckled and together they walked over to the door.

"I am the one who owes you my thanks, Alassë. I look forward to having you by my side at the Feast of Colours," he spoke warmly and Alassë relaxed. He kissed her hands and smiled before heading out.

Unable to help herself, Alassë made her way to the window and watched as he made his way back towards the Great Halls. Once he was out of sight, she sank into the couch and sighed. What a crazy day… She thought back to when he had asked her, just moments ago. It seemed like so long ago already… Closing her eyes, she was suddenly aware of how tiring of a day she had had. As she drifted off into a state of dreams, she let herself wonder if a prince could ever love a stable master.

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_There you have it, guys! This chapter was actually so difficult to write. I had it all planned out days ago and just couldn't seem to get it out in story form! I hope that it's all right and that you all enjoyed reading it! As always, please remember to review this if you have a moment! I've already made great use of several ideas and suggestions that a few of you have either mentioned in your reviews or sent me in a PM! Thanks to everyone who has written something up for me already!_

_-Eru_


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, I've been very busy with my schoolwork since going back to university on Monday. I've been itching to write this chapter for days, but haven't been able to find the time to sit down and get it done. Today I finally found the time to sit down and finish this chapter. Enjoy!_

_-Eru_

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**Chapter 7:**

Alassë was startled awake the next morning to a knock on her door. Jumping out of bed, she quickly pulled on a pair of leggings underneath of her night gown and hurried out of her room.

"You may come in!" she called as she made her way to the front door, wondering who it could be this early in the morning. The visitor did not enter, so Alassë reached for the door handle and opened the door. A female elf was standing on her front porch, smiling warmly. She was dressed in a simple dress, but Alassë noticed the fine needlework in the garment. The she-elf had a bag around her shoulder, and her fiery hair was tied back in an elegant braid.

"Good morning," the elf said a second after Alassë had opened the door. "My name is Araniel. Am I correct in guessing that you are Alassë?" She spoke politely, and her eyes were bright.

"Yes, you are correct," Alassë answered, confused as to why this elf had been looking for her. "Please, come inside, mellon," she said after a moment's hesitation, nearly forgetting her manners. If Araniel noticed Alassë's confusion, she did not show it. She thanked her host and stepped inside. She immediately set her bag down on the table and began to remove several items. Slightly flustered, Alassë ran her fingers through her hair, wondering what in the world her guest was doing.

"If you would like to remove your garments, I can begin taking your measurements," Araniel turned around to face her, a tape measure in her dainty hands.

Alassë cocked an eyebrow in confusion before she suddenly remembered her encounter with Legolas the night before. Her heart lurched excitedly as she remembered that he had invited her to be his guest to the feast. She shook her head and laughed at her own forgetfulness. Araniel's smile shrank slightly, and Alassë could tell that she had confused her guest.

"You must be the seamstress, then. I'm sorry, my mind is quite cluttered this morning." Alassë apologized. Araniel's smile returned in full force and she chuckled along with Alassë.

"Yes, Alassë. Ernil Legolas sent for me to sew you a dress for the feast." She explained, clearly not sure if Alassë actually knew what was going on.

Alassë nodded in understanding. Remembering Araniel's previous instructions, she led the dressmaker towards her bedroom and undressed. As Araniel took Alassë's measurements, the two she-elves struck up some casual conversation.

"You must be very talented if the prince chose to send you to make my dress," Alassë mused as Araniel scribbled down some notes on a piece of parchment that she had pulled from her bag. The cheerful elf blushed slightly at the kind words and smiled.

"I have not worked for the prince before, however I have sewn many dresses. So I suppose that you could say that," she said thoughtfully, her bright eyes dancing as she turned back towards Alassë. She took one last measurement before gesturing for Alassë to get dressed.

Picking up her leggings and night gown from her dresser, she decided that she should probably put some real clothes on. She quickly found a green tunic and got dressed, before joining the seamstress in the living room.

"What colour will the dress be?" Alassë asked, suddenly very curious about what her dress would look like. Araniel was just putting the last of her things back into her shoulder bag. She looked at Alassë and smiled.

"I fear I cannot tell you. Ernil Legolas has requested that it be a surprise," she winked and lifted her bag up onto her shoulder. Alassë moaned quietly and followed Araniel to the door.

"Will you be returning?" Alassë questioned, wondering if she would be getting any say at all as to what she would be wearing to the Feast of Colours.

"I will return in a week's time with the corset to confirm today's measurements," she said cheerfully, patting her bag. "It must be kept secret, mellon," Araniel laughed, knowing that Alassë just wanted to know if she was going to be able to learn anything else about her dress.

Alassë pouted and nodded, before laughing and opening the door for the seamstress. She put a hand on Araniel's shoulder as the she-elf made her way through the door.

"I just want to thank you for doing this for me," Alassë said sincerely as Araniel turned around at her touch. The seamstress smiled.

"It is an honour to sew your dress for you, Alassë. I promise you that you will love this dress. And the Prince as well," she added with another wink. Alassë blushed and smiled, lowering her gaze for a moment before looking back at Araniel.

"I will be waiting impatiently to see it," Alassë said enthusiastically. Araniel smiled and nodded. They exchanged farewells and Araniel went on her way. Shifting her gaze to the sky, she took note of where the sun was sitting in the sky and decided that she should find herself some breakfast. Closing the front door behind her, she made her way to the kitchen to search for something to eat.

Her mind too busy to cook something new, she found some pastries in her pantry and brought them to the table, along with some jams. Sitting down with her breakfast, she broke the pastry in two and spread some jam onto it. Taking a bite, she let her mind wander. What colour would her dress be? Red, blue, green? Purple, perhaps? She was giddy with a childish excitement, something that she had not felt in many years. Would Legolas like it?

"Does he think me beautiful?" She pondered out loud as she swallowed a bite of pastry. He had never said anything to her directly.

"The day at the river," she murmured quietly to herself, remembering his response to her saying the she didn't get many compliments. Is that what the prince's words had meant? Or had it merely been a coincidence? A small smile crept onto her lips as she daydreamed of a life with the prince.

Once she had finished her breakfast, she decided that a visit to the stables was long overdue. Pushing aside all of her thoughts of her dress, she quickly cleaned away her dishes. She pulled on her boots and headed out.

Though it was still fairly early in the day, the streets were already teeming with activity. As usual, elves smiled at her as she made her way through the streets. Alassë couldn't help but wonder if Legolas had made any kind of announcement regarding his who he had asked to be his guest, or if it was to be kept a secret until she showed up at the Feast with him. At the thought of being in front of so many elves, she felt her legs turn to jelly. Suddenly, she was having second thoughts about attending the feast. If she feared anything, it was being the centre of attention. She had long preferred to hide in the background when she attended social events such as this. But now she had no choice.

Despite her weak legs, she soon made it to the stables. She quickly made her way to Tálagor's stall and pushed his door open. Leaning into the grey stallion's neck, she clutched his mane and took a deep breath, relaxing into his horsey smell. She closed her eyes and let out her breath slowly. Tálagor nickered softly and turned his head around as far as he could to face her. Alassë didn't know how long she stayed like that, hugging her father's horse.

The soft sound of light footsteps pulled her from her own world of relaxation and she lifted her head to lock eyes with the cause of her nervousness.

"Good morning, Alassë" Legolas' voice was soft, and despite Alassë's anxiousness, she smiled shyly.

"Hello, Legolas," she replied, untangling her fingers from Tálagor's long grey mane. Brushing a stray lock of her hair from her face, she hoped that her nervousness was not obvious. She had been considering taking back her offer of attending the feast with the prince, but now that he was before her once again, she could not bear to go back on her word.

"Has Araniel been to see you?" He asked as Alassë exited Tálagor's stall. Alassë latched the door and nodded.

"Yes, and she will not tell me anything about the dress!" She said in exasperation. Legolas chuckled.

"I'm afraid I gave her those instructions, do not blame her."

"I know, she did not hesitate to tell me that it was not her fault," Alassë replied, her anxiety all but gone in the presence of her friend. They leaned against the stall, side-by-side. Legolas did not say anything, but appeared to be thinking.

"I cannot wait to see you in it," Legolas spoke up after a moment. Alassë felt her heart thud at his words, the butterflies threatening to upset her stomach again. She blushed and looked up at him, unsure of what to say.

"Come, today would make a fine day for some archery practice," the prince spoke up again, sensing Alassë's discomfort. Alassë breathed a silent sigh of relief as Legolas turned and made his way towards the stable doors. Giving Tálagor one final pat on his nose, she turned and followed the prince.

Legolas led the way into the woods and together they made their way to the clearing where he had been practicing the other day. They soon came to the break in the trees and Alassë chuckled as she remembered her encounter and how frightened she had been. Legolas turned his head slightly and looked at her out of the corner of his eye, a smile on his lips. He could guess what she was laughing about. They walked through the meadow and across to the other side, where the prince reached into a hole in one of the trees and retrieved his bow and a quiver of arrows.

Instead of slinging the quiver over his own shoulder, he handed it and the bow to Alassë. She raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes as he gently placed the quiver over her shoulder. It was a strange sensation, having the quiver on her back. She could feel the arrows shift whenever she moved, and the strap was too long for her. She laughed awkwardly and looked at Legolas, half expecting him to be joking.

"You are not expecting me to shoot this, are you?" she lifted the bow that he had given to her, which was nearly as tall her herself. It was made out of dark, smooth wood, and though Alassë knew nothing of bows, she knew that this bow was of very fine making. It was surprisingly light and easy to lift, however she had no idea how to hold it properly.

Now it was Legolas' turn to laugh. He laid a hand on her shoulder and led her to the middle of the meadow. Removing an arrow from the quiver, the prince handed it to Alassë. It too was incredibly light and thin, and Alassë was momentarily amazed at how such a fragile looking thing could be so deadly. She examined it for a moment, brushing her fingers along its feather fletching.

"It was a gift," Legolas spoke as he watched her looking at the bow and arrow.

"From whom? It is very nice," Alassë asked, looking away from the bow and up at her friend.

"The Lady Galadriel, of Lórien," Legolas said fondly as he shifted his gaze down to the bow which Alassë held. He smiled, obviously thinking about the day he had received it.

"The Lady of Lórien," She whispered incredulously, though she was not that surprised. Every elf knew of the prince's skill with a bow, and it seemed like a fitting gift. Alassë thought about asking why had had been given it, but decided not to. She didn't want to meddle in the prince's private affairs. Besides, he would have told her if he wanted to.

"Now, shall I teach you to shoot?" Legolas spoke up again. Alassë blinked, and looked down at the bow and arrow in her hands. She nodded her head, determined not to embarrass herself.

"The first thing you must do is nock the arrow," the prince said. Alassë raised the arrow and looked at it. Biting her lip, she took the fletched end of the arrow and fitted it to the bowstring, before resting the arrow on the notch in the bow. Then she turned her head and looked at Legolas, who was watching her intently. He reached out and gently helped her to place her fingers in the right spots on the bowstring. Alassë closed her eyes briefly as her heart jumped at his touch.

"Now, draw the bowstring."

Opening her eyes, Alassë took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the string before pulling back hesitantly. The string was so thin that she was afraid it would snap if she pulled it too far. She drew the string back as far as she dared go and then stopped and glanced at the prince beside her, who watched her expectantly.

"It will not break," Legolas said as she turned to him. Nodding curtly, Alassë drew it back a little more. Despite his words, she could not believe that a string so thin could be so strong. Legolas chuckled and walked around to stand behind her. Reaching behind her, he put his hand over top of hers and drew the bowstring back even more, until it was taut.

"Good," he said as he took a step back. He moved back around to stand beside her and gestured to the target at the far end of the clearing. "That is your target. Raise your right hand up to your chin," he spoke softly and helped to position her arms. When she had the bow raised and the target in her sights, she swallowed hard.

"Now, take aim and relax the fingers on the bowstring. Keep your bow hand steady as you release, or the arrow will wobble."

"I do not think that this will hit its mark," she laughed. Legolas only smiled and waited patiently for her to release the arrow. Alassë took a deep breath and steadied herself. This was it, she was about to embarrass herself. Hoping to at least hit the tree, she released her hold on the bow string. Though she tried, the bow jumped as the arrow left the bow string, causing the arrow to wobble as it sailed through the air. To her relief it hit the tree.

Pursing her lips, she lowered the bow to her side and looked at Legolas, who smiled at her expression.

"It will take practice, mellon. I practiced hard, every day," he patted her on the shoulder. "If you wish to rival my skills, you will need to work hard." He added, cheekily. Alassë cocked an eyebrow and looked at him. The prince stared back, trying not to smile. "What?"

Alassë just stared at him for a moment, before she started to laugh. Legolas pretended to look hurt, but soon was unable to hold it back and joined in.

The rest of the afternoon flew by. With Legolas' help, Alassë was eventually able to hit the target. The prince proved to be a patient teacher, never rushing her or laughing whenever she missed the tree entirely. Though she still took a long time to aim and was still unsure of how far to draw the bow, she was pleased with how much she had learned in one afternoon.

They only realised how late it had gotten when Alassë went to aim at the target and could not find it, despite her keen eyes. The sun had set long ago but the pair had taken no notice of the darkness that now surrounded them. They packed up and started back towards the city, laughing about how caught-up they had been in the sport.

"That bow has been many places," Legolas spoke up suddenly as the two walked along the path in the woods. Alassë shifted her gaze to the bow that was slung across the prince's back. She was about to ask where but Legolas spoke up first.

"It travelled with me from Lothlórien, to the plains of Rohan, to the white city of Gondor." He paused and Alassë lifted her eyes to his face. He was staring forwards, his eyes on the path before them. "To the gates of Mordor, and back." He spoke thoughtfully. Alassë's eye widened and she shifted them back down to the ground.

"It proved very useful, as you might imagine," He continued, almost to himself.

They walked the rest of the way to the stables in silence, both content to be with their thoughts. Soon, they were back at the stables. Alassë lit a lamp and peeked into a stall as Legolas spoke up.

"Would you like me to walk you to your cottage?" he smiled warmly. Alassë shook her head as she looked back at the prince.

"The horses have not yet been fed for the night. It is late, your ada must be wondering where you are," she said quietly, looking over at Legolas. She did not want him to leave, but it was very late and she did not want to be the reason the king sent elves out looking for his son. Legolas chuckled.

"Where is the hay kept?" He asked, looking around the stables. Alassë tilted her head and sighed, knowing that she was not going to win this argument. It did not take long to feed the horses, since most of them were still spending the nights outside.

Once the horses were all munching contentedly on their meal, Alassë brushed her hands on her tunic and piled up the leftover hay. Legolas was picking hay from his clothes and Alassë noticed this and smiled, thinking how funny it was to be seeing the prince of Eryn Lasgalen in such a state.

"Thank you for your help, ernil Legolas," she made a sweeping gesture with her arm and bowed slightly. Legolas chuckled and pulled up gently.

"Now, may I walk you home?"

Alassë nodded in gratitude and the pair left the stables, extinguishing the lanterns on their way out. The trip back was quiet and they soon reached Alassë's cottage. Legolas led the way up the steps and opened the door for Alassë, who stepped inside and turned around. Legolas took her hands in his own and Alassë was surprised when he did not kiss them. Instead, he smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"Thank you for today, Alassë. I hope that you had a good time."

Alassë nodded, her gaze not leaving his eyes, which shone bright despite the darkness. Squeezing her hands, Legolas gently pulled them towards him, urging Alassë closer. Alassë took a step forwards and gasped as they came nose to nose, inches apart. Legolas smiled and let go of one of Alassë's hands, reaching up to tuck a strand of her golden hair behind her ear. Alassë could feel her heart thudding wildly in her chest as the prince cupped her face in his hand and leaned in. With wide eyes, she felt Legolas' lips against hers, soft and gentle. After only a second's hesitation, she closed her eyes and relaxed into his kiss, reaching up with her free hand and wrapping it around his shoulder.

After a few moments, Legolas pulled away slowly and he lowered his hand from her cheek. Alassë's grey eyes fluttered open and immediately met the prince's blue ones. Legolas smiled somewhat shyly and Alassë felt herself blush wildly.

"Good night, Alassë," the prince squeezed Alassë's hand before releasing it and turning to leave.

"Good night, Legolas," Alassë whispered as she smiled and watched him walk back towards the Halls. Looking down at her hands, she caught her breath. He had kissed her! She lifted her eyes back and searched the darkness that surrounded her, but Legolas had already disappeared.

"Legolas kissed me…" she whispered to herself, her heart flying as she smiled to herself in the darkness.

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_Phew! Sorry that this took so long to update, guys! Thanks for being patient and I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to let me know what you think of the story so far, as always suggestions for story developments are welcome! I have most of the story set in stone, but I love to hear your ideas! _

_-Eru_


	8. Chapter 8

_Hello everybody! I'm very pleased with how this story is coming along so far, I received quite a few new followers since the last update and that makes me feel really good about it. So I wanted to hurry up and get this next chapter done for you guys! Hope you enjoy it!_

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**Chapter 8:**

The cool breeze ruffled Alassë's hair as she strolled through the gardens. It was a peaceful afternoon, with the birds singing in the trees and the sun shining down with the last of its summer warmth. Over the past two weeks, the changing of the seasons had become apparent. The trees around her had begun to turn vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow, and a few had begun to shed their leaves. Alassë smiled as a golden leaf floated past her head as she made her way through the hedges. Surprisingly, there were not many elves out and about, despite the gorgeous weather.

The peaceful quite was shattered when a voice called out from behind her, causing Alassë to startle slightly at her name. Turning, she saw Anira hurrying in her direction. Her hair was up in intricate braids about her head and she appeared quite panicked to find her cousin outside.

"Mellon! What are you doing out here? You should be preparing for the Feast of Colours!" Anira said, her eyes wide. "Have you forgotten?"

Alassë closed her eyes. No, she had not forgotten. Her nerves had been bothering her all day, and she had escaped to the gardens for some time to think. Besides, it was only midday, how could preparing for the feast possibly take up so much time? She looked at her cousin and shook her head.

"No, mellon. I have not forgotten."

Anira's expression softened and her eyes became bright. "Well then come, Alassë. You must look beautiful for ernil Legolas!" She giggled, much too loud for Alassë's liking. Furrowing her brow, she glanced around before hushing her friend.

"You must remember that it is a secret, Anira. No one else knows!"

Anira pursed her lips and nodded. "Still, we must make sure that you are perfect for the feast. Come, cousin!"

Alassë couldn't help but laugh as her cousin grabbed her hand and dragged her off across the garden towards Alassë's cottage. Anira was clearly excited, practically bouncing as she led the way through the streets.

No sooner had they arrived at the cottage was Alassë told to sit in her bedroom as Anira decided what should be done with her cousin's hair. Taking it out of its usual loose braid, she ran her fingers through it and brushed it until it was silky smooth. While Anira played with her hair, Alassë spoke up.

"Why were you looking for me?" She turned her head to try to look at her cousin, who gently used her free hand to turn it back around to face the mirror.

"You must not move, Alassë," She said, scolding, before answering Alassë's question. "I came here to help you prepare, and you were not here. So I went searching for you, since I knew that you would not know what to do with your hair," Anira laughed and Alassë attempted to swat at her cousin, but failed since she did not want to spoil her cousin's hard work. The current hairstyle was a thick French braid which traveled diagonally before flowing off down her back. As soon as she had finished with the braid, Anira took a step back and shook her head before undoing the braid. Alassë sighed, honestly not caring what her cousin did to her hair.

"Does it matter so much? I know that no matter what you do with my hair, it will be beautiful," she spoke up, getting frustrated and tired of sitting still for so long. Sparing a quick glance out her window, she noticed that the sun was already starting to make its way down towards the trees. She shifted in her seat, somewhat uncomfortably.

"But you must be _the_ most beautiful elf at the feast, so it must be the _perfect_ style."

Alassë snorted in a very un-ladylike manner and rolled her eyes. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she leaned back into the chair and sighed. She detested getting dressed up, for this very reason. It took too long.

After what felt like hours, Anira finally straightened up and cocked her head slightly, admiring her handwork. Taking a step back, she met Alassë's eyes in the mirror. "What do you think?"

Alassë took this as a chance to escape from the confines of the chair and nodded her head as she looked at her own reflection. "I like it." And she really did. Anira had put Alassë's hair up in many intricately weaved braids which wrapped loosely around her head. The rest of her hair hung loose, flowing down her back in a ribbon of gold. She smiled and turned to look at her cousin. "I really love it. Hannon le, Anira."

Anira eyes shone and she smiled widely, clearly pleased that her cousin was so happy. "I'm happy that you like it so much, Alassë. I was not expecting so much enthusiasm on your part."

Alassë laughed and stood up, taking the opportunity to stretch her legs. She groaned as her body protested. "It had better be worth the pain," she said in response as she heard a knock at the door.

She opened it to find Araniel standing on the porch, a large fabric bag draped across her arms. The seamstress smiled as Alassë appeared and invited her inside. Anira became giddy with excitement as she saw the garment bag in Araniel's arms. She bounced over to the seamstress and laid her hands on the fabric before turning towards Alassë.

"It is here!" She exclaimed, much like a young child who has not seen a close friend in a long while.

"Yes, this is the dress that you have both been waiting to see," Araniel smiled and walked over to the table. She laid it down on the wooden surface and turned to Alassë. "Why don't you go and put this on. The rest will be a surprise!" She handed Alassë the under garment portion of the dress. Taking the garment, she smiled excitedly and hurried to her room to get changed.

While Anira and Araniel expressed their excitement in a much more outward manner, Alassë kept hers bundled up inside of her. As she closed her bedroom door, she couldn't help but giggle quietly as she slipped into the garment. Though she much preferred her tunic and leggings to dresses, she had been looking forward to this moment for the past two weeks. As soon as she had the garment on and secured, she hurried to the door and opened it up.

"You must close your eyes, mellon-nin. I will help you to put it on," Araniel said as she picked the bag up and made her way towards Alassë. Alassë nodded her head and closed her eyes.

As the seamstress slid the dress over her head, Alassë felt her stomach flip. This was it! The dress was silky and soft against her skin. As Araniel started to fasten the corset backing, Alassë could tell that it was fitted around her torso, while the skirt was much looser. It was surprisingly lightweight and comfortable. Having worn her mostly her mother's older dresses to the feasts in past years, she was used to having to carry around the extra weight of heavy fabric. She bit her lip and waited impatiently for Araniel to be finished. Finally, she felt the hands leave her back and heard the seamstress step back.

"When you are ready, you may open your eyes, Alassë."

Taking a deep breath, Alassë opened her eyes and turned to look at herself in the mirror. She gasped as she saw her reflection and her hands flew to her mouth in surprise.

The dress was a beautiful purple in colour, with intricately sewn designs in silver thread. It had a scooped neckline and sat wide on her shoulders, showing just the right amount of skin. The bodice was a deeper purple with lots of delicate silver needlework. A silver satin belt sat at her waist, which had many tiny jewels sewn onto it. The skirt was made up of many lightweight layers, and flowed loosely as she turned and admired the dress from all angles. The sleeves were loose and draped elegantly down from her wrists, their fabric less opaque than the rest of the dress.

As she stared at herself in the mirror, she could barely recognize herself, with her hair done and wearing this gorgeous gown. She turned to Araniel and couldn't help but embrace her in a tight hug. Though it was not a normal custom for the elves, her father had always preferred a hug instead of the more elvish custom of the simple nod or a hand over the heart. Alassë couldn't remember the last time that she had felt this grateful. Turning back to the mirror, she admired the hard work that the seamstress had put into the dress. She found it hard to believe that she had sewn this in just two weeks. And the jewels! She had never owned anything so expensive in all her life, let alone had it given to her!

Anira had entered the room and was busy admiring the dress herself. She ran her hands along the smooth fabric and looked up at Alassë with wide eyes. "This is the most beautiful dress that I have ever seen, Mellon-nin!"

Alassë laughed and realised that she was shaking from the excitement. She steadied herself on her dresser and smiled widely. She felt nothing but excitement and gratitude now, her nerves had disappeared as soon as she had seen herself in the dress.

"It looks so beautiful on you, Alassë. It makes your eyes shine like summer stars!" Anira continued, taking her cousin's hands in her own and smiling. "Ernil Legolas will love it."

Alassë blushed and turned to Araniel, finding her voice to thanks the seamstress. "I am so grateful for your hard work. Hannon le, mellon-nin."

Araniel smiled widely and tipped her head in acknowledgement. "I enjoyed sewing it. I am pleased that you like it so much, Alassë."

"We must be going now. I hope that you enjoy the feast, Alassë," Anira said as she glanced out the window. The sun had begun to set below the trees and the feast would be starting soon. Alassë nodded as her friends hurried out the door, on their way to get themselves ready for the feast. She sat down in her living room and rubbed her cheeks, finding them sore from smiling so much. Taking a deep breath, she tried to stop herself from trembling. As she gently messaged her cheeks, she wondered what she should do next. Legolas never had told her if he would be coming to get her before the feast of if they would meet there. She didn't have to wonder long, as she soon heard a brisk knock on her door. Jumping up, she smoothed out her dress and made her way to the door. Fixing a stray strand of her hair, she took a deep breath and opened the door. On her doorstep was a blonde elf dressed in a fine blue tunic. Alassë nearly jumped as she quickly realised that this was not who she had been expecting at all, but an elf who she had never met before. Before she could question who he was, the elf spoke up.

"Good evening, Lady Alassë. My name is Aranhil. Ernil Legolas requested that I accompany you to the Great Halls." He spoke with a tone of authority, yet his eyes were gentle and his smile kind. He held out his arm and Alassë walked down the steps and accepted it, slightly overwhelmed.

"It is nice to meet you, Aranhil." She said politely, reminding herself that tonight was a night where she would be needing her best manners. She was tempted to strike up a conversation with the elf at her side, yet she knew not what to speak about. So she walked quietly next to Aranhil as they crossed the city while the sun faded behind the trees. The streets were busy and Alassë guessed that Legolas had been wanting to avoid any troubles that might have arisen if she had gone to pick her up himself. She chuckled inwardly at the thought of the prince being swarmed by elves who all hoped that they would be attending the feast with him. Butterflies sprang to life in her stomach as the figure of the Halls appeared in the distance.

Soon they were entering through the great gate that was once the gate to the city of Mirkwood. Now, though it was still guarded day and night, it served simply as the entrance to the Halls, where the high elves lived. Alassë could remember growing up in the caves of Mirkwood, before the beginning of the Fourth Age. After the spiders had been chased away from the city's borders, the elves had begun to establish themselves outside of the mountain's caves. Alassë didn't miss the dimly lit caves at all, and was thankful that she was able to live in the sunshine now that the forest was safe again.

The Halls were teeming with activity as Aranhil led Alassë through the main doors. As they passed through the many elves and their guests, she overheard several female elves questioning one another about Legolas' guest. At mention of this, Alassë felt herself tense up and she tightened her grip on Aranhil's arm unintentionally. Glancing sideways, Aranhil noticed her nervousness and smiled reassuringly.

"You will be quite all right, Lady Alassë." He spoke softly in a low voice so as to keep the words between the two of them. Alassë took a deep breath to calm herself and nodded, determined to keep her cool. They soon left the crowded entrance and walked down one of the many hallways that made up the Great Halls. At the end of the hallway, Aranhil opened a door and gestured for Alassë to go in first. He followed her in and closed the door to make sure that no one would follow them in.

The room was fairly small and simply decorated with a few paintings on the wall, and a couple of couches.

"Please, have a seat, Lady Alassë. I will send for Ernil Legolas," Aranhil bowed before making his way out of the room through a different door. Making her way to the centre of the room, she sat down on the soft couch and closed her eyes. This was it. She was about to walk out in front of the entire kingdom of Eryn Lasgalen alongside the prince himself. She felt the fear threatening to take hold of her as she waited in the room alone. She had been nervous in the entrance, where she was still unknown to the elves around her. How would she be able to take walking out in front of the thousands of watching eyes in the Hall?

She heard the soft footsteps before the door behind her opened. Turning, she saw Legolas entering the room. He was dressed in a silver tunic, which had a small amount of purple embroidery on the collar to match her dress. Alassë stood up as the prince made his way towards her. His hair was combed back and Alassë noticed that it was missing its usual warrior braids. He wore his silver circlet on his head, reminding Alassë that he was a prince. She felt a pang of guild deep in her chest, and she pushed the thought of her being a common elf out of her head. He looked shockingly handsome, and Alassë realised that she had not taken the time to filly appreciate his looks since that day by the river.

Legolas stopped in front of her and tipped his head in greeting, his eyes shining in the light of the torches that lit the small room. Alassë did the same, feeling odd that she was once again being so formal with the elf that she had come to know as her friend. Neither of them spoke for a moment, Alassë too nervous to find words. She supposed that Legolas must be feeling the same way, for he had not yet spoken either, which surprised Alassë. He was normally so well spoken.

"You look… Beautiful, Alassë," He said at last, looking over her dress. Alassë lowered her gaze and blushed. Damn, she hated that she blushed so much.

"Thank you, Legolas," she replied, lifted her chin and smiling shyly. It struck her funny that she could get along so well with the elf when there was no romance involved, but as soon as the mood shifted ever so slightly in that direction, she turned into a mouse.

The two stood in comfortable silence for a moment before Alassë heard the bells outside of the Halls begin to ring. She looked up at Legolas, who smiled eagerly back at her. He must have done this a thousand times already, Alassë thought to herself as the prince offered her his arm. She took it and they began to make their way through another hallway that Alassë assumed must lead to the back entrance of the Hall.

As they neared the Hall, Alassë could hear the voices of all the elves as they streamed through the main doors and took their seats for the feast. Though she tried her best to hide her mounting fear, she subconsciously began clinging tightly to the prince's arm as they approached the entrance to the Hall. They came to a stop and stood by the door for a few moments. Alassë's heart was racing and her stomach was in knots as she listened to the elves through the rock walls. Legolas noticed her tension and took one of her hands, squeezing it gently.

"Alassë, mellon. Are you all right?" His voice was soft with a hint of worry as he looked into Alassë's eyes, searching for an answer. He could tell that she was not all right, and hoped that he would be able to calm her down before they would have to walk into the Hall.

Alassë blinked hard and shook her head slightly. Though she didn't speak a word, her answer was clear. Legolas unhooked her arm from his and turned to face Alassë, taking both of her hands in his own.

"Everything will be all right. I promise you, mellon."

Alassë took a deep breath and looked up at him. "The entire kingdom will be watching me all night," she whispered softly. Legolas squeezed her hands again, not quite sure how to deal with the nervous elleth.

"You need not pay them any attention. You will enjoy tonight, I promise."

Alassë forced herself to nod and swallow the fear that was rising in her throat. Legolas put a hand on her cheek and caressed it gently, a soft smiling gracing his face. Alassë couldn't help but smile as Legolas attempted to sooth her. Knowing that she found comfort in hugs, the prince wrapped his arms around Alassë in a tight embrace, furrowing his brow as he noticed that she was shaking slightly. As he pulled away, an elf walked up to the doors and nodded to the prince.

"It is time, mellon," he said softly, hoping that she would be able to walk with him into the hall. To his relief, Alassë barely hesitated before taking his arm. Though she was very nervous, she was determined to keep it together for Legolas' sake. She knew that it was be an embarrassment to him if she bailed. Plus, she suspected that she would live to regret it.

The elf prince led her to the doors that marked the back entrance to the Hall. With a smile on his face, he looked down at Alassë.

"Remember, Alassë. I will be right beside you for the duration of the night." He leaned over and gently kissed the top of her head. Just then, the doors began to swing open and music started playing. Taking a deep breath, Alassë took a last glance at the prince beside her and squeezed his arm before they stepped out into the Hall together.

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_Eeeee! This ch__apter got so long so fast… I wanted to do the Feast in this one chapter but that would have been way too long for what I have planned out! I hope that you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it… I promise that I won't leave you hanging for too long. I'm already itching to start writing the next part of the story._

_As always, please review this chapter. I would really appreciate it if you could just write a simple review, especially if you have any suggestions or comments for me! I will always reply to reviews written from accounts!_

_Thanks!_

_-Eru_


	9. Chapter 9

_Hello again, guys! I guess that was kind of (very) evil of me, leaving you guys off with a cliff-hanger! So I typed this up as fast as I could to get this finished and posted right away for you guys! I hope that I haven't compromised the quality of this chapter for the sake of time. Hope you all enjoy this chapter, and thanks for all of the reviews and follows!_

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**Chapter 9:**

The room was brightly lit, filled with many tables and elaborately decorated for the occasion. With her chin up as she entered the Hall, he caught the curious stares of the elves closest to the front of the room. All were standing up at their tables for the entrance of the prince and his guest. The prince and her. Shifting her gaze, she looked straight ahead, avoiding their prying eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat and told her feet to keep walking, in time with Legolas' own footsteps. Through the music that played, Alassë could hear the hushed voices of the crowd. The voices of the older elves, happy for their prince, and the confused whispers of those who tried to figure out if they knew her or not. But above all the other voices, she heard those of the jealous elves, wishing that they had caught the prince's eye instead of her.

Though she was still shaking as they neared the centre of the stage, she was managing to keep her cool. She squeezed Legolas' arm as they came to a top in front of the crowd. Glancing down at her, she smiled reassuringly.

"I must speak a few words, stand here."

Alassë nodded and reluctantly released her grip on his arm. Putting a smile on her face, she looked out at the crowd and watched as the prince raised a hand and the room fell silent. Smiling, Legolas lowered his arm and began to speak, holding the attention of the entire room. Alassë concentrated on keeping her breathing even as she listened to his short speech. She was captivated, wondering how he was able to talk in front of the entire kingdom with such grace an ease.

"I would like to introduce to you all my guest for this evening, Alassë."

At the mention of her name, she felt her body go rigid. Feeling the eyes of every single elf in the room on her now, she straightened up and smiled politely, desperately wishing that Legolas would speak up so that their attention would be diverted. Though she had been avoiding looking at the crowd, luck was on her side, as the first pair of eyes that she met belonged to her cousin. She allowed herself to relax as Anira smiled encouragingly from where she was standing with her friends. She was so focused on her friend that she missed the last part of the prince's speech and he was soon back by her side, his hand on her waist.

Soon after Legolas' speech had finished, the music changed and all eyes were diverted to the doors on the opposite side of the stage as they were opened. King Thranduil strode out to join them at the centre of the stage. As his father made his way out, Legolas pulled gently on Alassë's arm and they stepped back a few paces. Thranduil came to a standstill centre stage and raised his arm, silencing the room immediately. While she said a few words of welcome, Alassë admired his robes. They were a rich maroon colour, with many images and designs of nature sewn in golden thread. Thankful for a moment that he held the room's attention, Alassë allowed herself to laugh inwardly. No matter what her dress had looked like, it could never have bested the King's wardrobe.

"And so I invite you all to drink and eat your fill."

As he finished his speech, he tipped his head slightly and stepped back, turning to join Legolas and Alassë at the table as they took their seats. The rest of the elves followed suite, sounds of laughter and chatter filling the air. As she got settled in her chair, Legolas began speaking with Thranduil. Not wanting to eavesdrop, she busied herself with tracing the designs on her dress, losing herself in their delicacy. She lifted her head quickly as Legolas laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Ada, I would like to introduce you to Alassë." Legolas said, smiling widely. Alassë smiled shyly as Thranduil turned her way, a regal smile on his lips.

"It is nice to meet you, Alassë."

"It is an honour, your grace." She spoke quietly, finding her voice for the first time since entering the Hall. The king raised a hand to his jaw, seemingly pondering something for a moment. His gaze was intimidating, though she knew he meant not to scare her.

"You are the stable master, are you not?" His voice was deep and full of authority, and for a fleeting moment Alassë was worried that she had done something to displease the king. Raising her eyes back up to meet his, she found them soft and curious. She pleaded with herself to get a grip. This was to be a joyous occasion, she needed to try to loosen up a bit. Nodding her head, she smiled.

"Yes, that is correct, aran nin"

The king smiled and nodded his head, pleased that he had remembered correctly. "Wonderful. I hear you take great pride in your work."

Alassë smiled and nodded, starting to warm up to the king. She had always thought of him as all business, not one for small talk, but thankfully he was fairly easy to talk to. She was surprised that he would have heard of her at all.

"She has a great gift of horsemanship," the prince chimed in.

"The horses are my life, aran Thranduil," she added passionately. She was thankful for the casual topic of conversation, and was able to forget the crowded room before her.

Soon there were servers arriving with the meals. They bustled about, carrying many plates and bowls of foods. Salads, vegetables, fruits, breads, meats and wines of all varieties were set upon the table in front of Alassë, who suddenly realised just how hungry she was. Before the feast had begun, she had had visions in her mind of sitting at the table, silently picking at the food before her, but now that she had relaxed, her stomach was growling. Glancing in the prince's direction, she watched him attentively, making sure that she didn't do anything out of place. Was she supposed to wait for them to eat first, or not? She decided to play it safe, opting to do things in the same order as Legolas.

The food was delicious. Alassë had never in all her life seen so much of it in one place. It was piled high on top of the table, a beautiful centrepiece of bright colours. It almost made Alassë sad whenever a part of it was removed to be eaten. All too soon, Alassë found herself wishing that she could have tried everything at the table, but she feared that she would become much too full. As she nodded her head in response to a server asking if she would like some more wine, Legolas nudged her playfully in her side.

"I take it you are enjoying the wine, Alassë?" He had a playful smile on his lips. Alassë poked him back and picked up her cup, refilled, and took a sip.

"I have never had the pleasure of drinking the king's finest wines before," she replied after she swallowed.

"They are quite wonderful, aren't they?" Thranduil said in approval as he had his own cup refilled by the server. Legolas chuckled, glancing between his father and Alassë. He had had quite a bit to drink himself, but he had been drinking the rich wine for many years. He knew that the she-elf at his side had not had nearly as much experience with the drink as he had. Turning towards her, he leaned in towards her.

"How many times have you had your cup refilled, mellon?"

Alassë looked at him. "I fear I cannot remember, but it does not matter. I am sure there is plenty left," she said, smiling widely. She was clearly enjoying herself now. She did not drink much, and after a couple of cups, she had found that she was no longer feeling anxious of the crowd before her. She welcomed the feeling with open arms. Legolas shook his head, telling himself that he would have to watch over her more closely for the rest of the night.

Soon, the food was being cleared away and elves were starting to rise from their seats to dance. Performers were welcomed to come to the stage and sing, recite poetry, or play instruments. The plates before Alassë were cleared away at surprising speed, leaving nothing but the goblets should they chose to have more wine. With a sigh of content, Thranduil leaned back into his chair and observed the scene unfolding before him. Taking this as a cue that she could be a bit more casual now that the meal had finished, she leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands, watching the elves in the room dancing gracefully.

"Alassë, would you care to dance?"

Alassë turned her head to look at Legolas, who had his head tilted slightly as he waited for her answer. Straightening up slowly, Alassë's cheeks warmed slightly as she looked at him.

"Of course, Legolas."

The prince stood and walked around to Alassë's other side before offering her his hand. Smiling nervously, she reached out and took it as she stood up and followed Legolas down the steps and onto the dance floor.

She had never been one for dancing. Since she had worked with the horses her whole life, she never really had much room for grace. Giggling to herself, she thought about how inefficient the stables would run if she tried to do everything gracefully. Legolas looked at her curiously as she laughed.

"Do I look funny?" he questioned her as he led the dance, pretending to be hurt. Alassë laughed again and shook her head.

"No, it was simply a thought I had."

The prince didn't question her further, not wanting to invade her private thoughts. As they danced to the music, Alassë was thankful that Legolas seemed to be taking it slow for her. His movements were slight and smooth, always careful not to take things too fast. Still, she found herself wishing that she had been taught to dance. Legolas moved with such elegance that she feared she was making a fool of herself. Looking around the room, she saw a blur of rich colours and forms. Blues, reds, greens, and all the colours of the rainbow mingled with the golden, brown, red, and black hair of the elves around her. She soon turned her gaze towards Legolas' face, her head feeling fuzzy because of the dizzying scene around her. The prince was looking back at her, his features relaxed and a smile at his mouth. Alassë smiled too, and leaned in closer to him as they danced. She closed her eyes for a moment and thought about how the night had gone so far. She was dancing with the prince of Eryn Lasgalen! Her heart fluttered excitedly as she was led through the last steps of the dance. As the next song started, she looked up at Legolas.

"If you will excuse me for a moment."

Legolas nodded and turned away, heading back up to the table where his father sat, watching the night unfold. Alassë made her way to the doors of the Hall and towards the toilets, her mind not thinking as clearly as she would have liked. She hurried, as she did not want to miss a moment more of the festivities, which she could tell were starting to draw to a close. For the first time in her life, she had been able to enjoy herself at the event, and she took great pride in knowing that she had breached that wall.

Finishing up, she hurried back through the halls, opting to use the door that she had entered through with Legolas. Navigating the halls with only minor issues due to the wine, she was allowed through by the guard that stood at the door to the room where she had waited. The door closed quickly behind her and she had to think for a moment to remember which of the two other doors led to the correct hallway. Fairly certain in her decision, she headed off down the corridor and came to the door to the Hall. She could hear the music and knew that she had managed to find it. Proud of her accomplishment, she pushed the door open, surprised at its weight. She had not opened it too far when she heard Legolas' slightly raised voice and halted to listen, unsure if she would hear something that she shouldn't.

"She is loyal and hard-working. She has a beauty all her own. I have never met an elleth quite like her."

Though she could barely hear him, she could make out these words. Her heart swelled as she took in his words, and she smiled, hearing the passion behind Legolas' words.

"I cannot allow you to court her, ion-nin. She is of Silvan blood, not suitable for you."

Alassë froze as she heard Thranduil interject. Her heart dropped as she took in what he had said, her breath caught in her throat. She took a step backwards and closed the door, making sure to not make a sound. Turning, she leaned her back on the door and closed her eyes, feeling tears threatening to spill. She willed them not to, for she knew that she would have to return to the table eventually, and she would have to pretend that she had not heard their conversation.

Opening her eyes, she looked around the room in exasperation, looking for an answer as to what she should do next. He was right, of course. She had known it all along. She was too lowly for the prince of Eryn Lasgalen, she had feared this since the day she had started to have feelings for him. Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath, gathering herself. Standing up straight, she opened the door, quicker this time, hoping that they had shifted to a different topic of conversation.

As she entered the Hall, she immediately looked towards Legolas' noting as his expression changed immediately to hide his displeasure. As she neared the tabled, she faked a smile and decided that she couldn't stay any longer. She needed some air, and time to think. Not bothering to take a seat, she picked up her cup and emptied it quickly. Despite the fact that she had bigger issues, she found herself sadly wondering if she would ever drink wine so wonderful again. It had clearly taken up a large part of her mind. Setting the goblet down, she glanced at Legolas, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"I am terribly sorry, ernil nin, aran nin, but I must take my leave." She felt tears spring to the corners of her eyes as she spoke, and did not wait for either of them to reply before she curtsied quickly and made her way out of the Hall. She tuned out all sounds and sights as she hurried away from the king and his son, her thoughts mashing into each other in her head.

She managed to make it outside of the Halls before Legolas reached her. The cool night air hit her hard as she stepped out into the darkness of the night. She wondered what time it was. Surely it must be past midnight, for the feasts normally lasted long into the nights. She heard the voice behind her, but she did not stop. She didn't want to face him, not now. Maybe never. She stumbled slightly as she stepped off the cobblestone path and onto the grass. Which way was her cottage, anyways?

To her dismay, she felt the gentle hands on her shoulders and stopped, frozen cold as she tried to decide what to do next. Her mind was muddled, distraught from what she had heard and foggy from the alcohol.

"Alassë! Alassë, mellon-in. Please, it is okay." She turned as Legolas spoke to her, his voice as calm as he could manage despite being so alarmed. Alassë noticed then that tears ran cold down her cheeks, and she reached up to brush them away, embarrassed that she had been caught crying. She sobbed and attempted to remove his hands from her shoulders.

"No!" She shouted, startling the prince, who removed his hands from her immediately, not wanting to frighten her. "It is not okay. Nothing is okay!" She spoke without thinking, in a fit.

Legolas attempted to calm her, his eyes begging her to be calm. He reached for her slowly, and Alassë took a step back, not wanting him to touch her. "I heard what he said," she said, fresh tears falling down her face, her heart falling. Legolas followed her, stepping towards her slowly.

"He did not mean any harm, Alassë," he said desperately, trying to figure out what to do. Alassë simply stared at him, momentarily caught off guard. She shook her head, knowing that the king had meant to keep his son from making a mistake. She was a mistake. She couldn't allow Legolas to dishonour his father.

"I am sorry, Legolas," was all she could manage before she turned on her heels and ran away. She did not look back, and sobs racked her body as she made her way across the city. The cold night air felt harsh on her tear-stained face, but she ran hard until she somehow managed to find her way back to her cottage. Bursting through the door, she slammed it shut behind her and ran to her bedroom, where she collapsed on her bed. There she lay, her thoughts filled with Legolas and Sirdal and dresses and wine. Sirdal, who belonged to someone she now couldn't bear to look at. She had longed her whole life for someone to love, to call her own. And the one love she had managed to find had been a huge mistake. She cried until the tears no longer fell, and she found herself stumbling through dreams filled with a thick fog.

She awoke the next morning as the light shone in through the window above her head. She lay in bed, unmoving, as she decided whether or not she wanted to get out of bed. Her head throbbed with every beat of her heart. Alassë moaned, trying to remember the last time she had had a headache. She decided that it had been a very long time, when she had been thrown from one of the young horses. Rolling over, she heard a strange noise as the fabric of her night gown shifted. Lifting her head from her pillow, she looked down and noticed for the first time that she was not in her sleeping attire, but instead in her purple dress from the Feast of Colours. Suddenly, the events from the evening came rushing back to her and she fell back onto the pillow, her head heavy with sorrow and guilt.

After a moment, she forced herself to get out of bed. Though it took a great deal of effort and her head throbbed throughout the process, she eventually found herself standing at the edge of her bed, looking across the room at herself in the mirror. Her dress was wrinkled and flat, and her hair was falling out of its braids, loose strands sticking out in every direction. She sighed and made her way out of her bedroom with a heavy heart. She had felt this way before, after her ada had died. Grief filled her heart in much the same way, knowing that she couldn't have done anything to avoid the situation. She loved Legolas, she had come to realise this as she dreamed, and that was wrong of her. She could not let him disappoint his own father.

Stepping out of her bedroom, her eyes immediately focused on a figure sitting on the table in her dining room. It was a crystal vase, filled with flowers. Startled, she looked around, making sure that she was alone, before hesitantly making her way over to investigate. The flowers were beautiful, clearly grown at the greenhouse since they were spring flowers. They were purple, matching her dress, she noticed. Tentatively, she reached out and pulled a small card that was placed between the flowers. Taking a deep breath, she turned it over.

"_Alassë,_

_I wanted to leave these for you. I had intended on giving them to you once the Feast of Colours had ended, but I suppose this will have to do. I am sorry that you heard what you did. I am deeply sorry that I failed to offer you the support that you needed afterwards. I am sorry that I let you down._

_I hope that you will be able to find it in your heart to forgive me, and I hope that we can remain friends. _

_If you ever wish for more, my heart will be waiting for you, Alassë._

_Legolas."_

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_This chapter KILLED me to write! Blah, what a sad turn of events… I hope that this wasn't too hard on you guys, I promise that things will work out in the end. I'm shaking in my boots as I type this, hoping that this won't cause any of you to turn away from the story, haha! Thanks for reading it, reviews are very much appreciated, I am very interested to hear what you guys thought of this chapter!_

_Thanks,_

_-Eru_


	10. Chapter 10

_Hello, everybody! Sorry that I've taken a little bit longer to write this chapter, I was suffering from a terrible case of writer's block, along with preparing for finals! I hope that it is not too dull because of my lack of muse. Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 10:**

Alassë sat silently in her bedroom, immobile, her eyes unblinking. She had changed out of her neglected dress and into a fresh tunic, and now sat staring at the bouquet of purple irises that sat on her dining table. The card was perched beside the crystal vase, untouched since it had been dropped there earlier in the morning. Alassë's eyes burned and hot tears stung her eyes. When she finally blinked, they ran down her cheeks and fell onto her hands, which rested on her lap. She had been sitting here since she had found the flowers, and had been unable to stop thinking about last night's events.

"I will surely die," she said suddenly as she stood up swiftly, "if I continue to dwell in the past." She took a deep breath and made her way to her vanity to brush her hair. Though it was a tangled mess of braids, her fingers worked efficiently, untangling the knots gently. It took a great deal of time, and for this Alassë was thankful, since it provided her with a distraction for the time being. It was close to midday by the time Alassë had her golden hair brushed smooth. Satisfied with her work, she left her silky hair loose and decided that she should head to the stables soon for work. With one last glance at the flowers on her table, she quickly left the cottage and made her way to the stables.

Life seemed easier at the stables. As soon as she swung open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside, the tension left her body and she found herself smiling slightly. Greeting Rilien, she strode into the feed room and checked the board on the wall. Seeing that the horses had not yet been fed, she got to work mixing the grain for each horse. Humming quietly as she worked, she methodically mixed and measured each horse's rations. Soon, she had finished with each horse's supper, and stacked up several buckets, preparing to take them out. As she picked them up and headed for the feed room door, she heard the stable doors creak open and stopped, listening.

"Suilad (hello), Sirdal,"

Alassë's heart halted as she heard the prince's voice, full of masked sorrow. She choked back a sob and stepped back into the feed room, opting to hide from Legolas. She could not speak with him. Not here, not yet. She set the buckets down on the table, being sure to remain silent. Leaning up against the wall, she closed her eyes and continued to listen as Legolas spoke to the filly, who greeted him with a delighted whinny.

"Come, let us walk," he murmured softly, lacking his usual cheer. Alassë could picture the little mare nuzzling the prince, her ears pricked forwards excitedly. She heard the hooves on the wooden floor and the soft footfalls of the prince as the pair left the stables. Alassë remained in the room, unmoving. _I did this to him. _She couldn't withhold her thoughts as she desperately tried not to cry.

"I can't do this…" She whispered to herself, opening her eyes.

"Alassë? Is everything all right?" Rilien appeared in the doorframe, a concerned look on his face. Alassë pulled herself from the wall and stood up straight, hoping that he had not noticed her distress. Opening her mouth to speak, she searched for words. Glancing at the buckets of grain, she turned back to her stable hand and nodded.

"Rilien, if you don't mind, could… would you finish up for me this evening?" she sputtered, wishing that she could do something without making a fool of herself for once. Thankfully, the elf didn't question her.

"Of course, Alassë," he replied with a warm smile. Alassë nodded in thanks, her eyes meeting his, hoping he knew how grateful she was. With a subtle glance into the stables to make sure that they were empty, Alassë left in a hurry, anxious to be back in the privacy of her own home.

When she arrived back at the cottage, she hesitated at her door. She knew what she would see once she entered the house. She disliked the flowers, almost feared them. No, that wasn't correct. She feared the emotions that came with the flowers. The flowers themselves were beautiful, but only reminded her of what she had broken. Knowing that she couldn't stand on her own doorstep for hours, she opened the door and stepped inside the cottage, her eyes avoiding the vase on the table.

The cottage offered her no comforts. Making her way over to the couch, she slowly lay down and hugged her knees close to her chest, desperate to feel some relief from her feelings.

"I find no relief at the stables, and even less relief in my own home," she whispered to herself in the dying light, her voice shaking violently. She felt like an empty shell. She didn't know what to do anymore. She hugged her knees closer to her body and began to rock herself gently, attempting to soothe herself. The motion offered her little comfort, and she was soon sobbing uncontrollably as memories of dancing and walks through the woods flooded her mind. She cried until her eyes stung and the tears ran dry. And when she couldn't cry anymore, she decided that she needed to leave. She needed to get out.

Sitting up, she wiped her eyes and stared outside into the darkness, wondering what time it was. _Whatever time it may be, it is time to leave. _Getting up from the couch, she walked numbly around the house, quickly packing whatever she could fit into her small pack. When she was done, she stood by her front door and surveyed the cottage.

"I need some time," she said to herself, confident that some time away from everything would help her. Turning on her heel, she passed through the door and headed to the stables.

She sprinted silently through the empty streets, her hair shining silver in the moonlight. Her breath came in short, quiet bursts as she neared the stable. Opening the door, she tried not to make a sound as she crept into the darkness of the stable. Hoping not to wake any of the younger horses who would greet her with nickers and snorts, she rushed to Tálagor's stall and hastily led him out of the stables. Without so much as a second thought, she leapt gracefully onto the stallion's back and urged him into a gallop. Sensing his rider's urgency, the grey stallion snorted and launched into a gallop, heading down the path before him.

As the horse ran, Alassë leaned forward into his mane. The wind whipped the strands in her face, and her cheeks stung with every lash. But she stayed bent low, breathing in Tálagor's scent and taking comfort in his warmth. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. Her tears had run dry, and she felt weak from sobbing for hours on end. They ran through the night, the full moon lighting the way. Tálagor was sure footed from his travels with Alassë's father, and he knew when he needed to run. Though his breathing was coming heavier now, the aged stallion surged on. His muscles rippled under Alassë, who closed her eyes and clung tightly as they raced away from the borders of the city. After running a great distance, Tálagor began to slow, his coat bathed in a thick lather of sweat. As the stallion slowed to a canter, Alassë felt her hands go limp and her grip on the horse's neck loosen. Her mind went numb and she fell unceremoniously onto the hard ground, emotionally and physically spent. She lay there motionless, eyes staring up into the darkness of the trees above her. Her mind was blank, and she felt nothing.

She was soon able to focus as she felt a warm nose pushing gently against her cheek, pleading with her to get up. Tálagor breathed softly on her, tickling her face with his whiskers. Blinking hard, Alassë rolled over and moaned as her body objected. _I could just lay here, _she though as she lay in the dirt. Turning her head slowly, she looked up into the concerned eyes of her father's horse. _I can't leave him. He won't lose me too. _With an encouraging nicker, Tálagor nudged his master again, stomping his foot. With a determined sigh, Alassë sat up and held still as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Tálagor raised his head and Alassë clenched her teeth as she was pulled up and placed back on her feet at his side.

Wearily, Alassë released her gip on his neck and stepped back, testing her balance and making sure that she had not seriously injured herself. Looking back at the grey stallion, she noticed his soaking wet body and was suddenly furious with herself for pushing him so hard. Ignoring her body's complaints, she quickly stepped forwards again and hugged Tálagor tightly, willing herself to never act so rashly again. Burying her face in his mane, she ignored the stickiness of his sweaty coat and closed her eyes, thinking to herself that maybe this was all she needed. A run clear her mind and a shock to make her think straight again.

"Tálagor," she spoke into his neck, "let us return home."

Pulling away from his neck, she opened her eyes and instantly a new thought crept into her mind. Stepping away from Tálagor, Alassë took in her surroundings and realised that she had no idea where they were. Suddenly noticing that she was alone with the stallion in the dark woods, she shivered, fear slowly making its way into her heart. She attempted to push it away as she looked back at the stallion, who simply stared at her as if to ask what they were going to do next. Remembering the hard run her had just had, Alassë decided to focus on cooling him out before she stressed too much about where they had found themselves. Mounting the stallion, she asked him for a walk. They walked in the direction that Alassë thought that they had come from. The fall had disoriented her, and the ground was hard enough that she could not find the stallion's tracks in the dirt, so she had taken a guess. As they walked, she desperately searched for signs that they had been this way earlier, but found none.

After walking for quite some time, Tálagor's coat was dry. Wishing she had brought a brush, Alassë hopped off and winced as her sore muscles cried out. Grabbing a handful of dry grass, she made do and went over Tálagor's coat in small circles, doing her best to remove the dried sweat from his coat. When she had finished, she made her way over to the edge of the path and sat down, leaning against a tree. The stallion walked over and joined her, opting to lie down beside her in the soft grass. With a sigh, he rested his head in Alassë's lap and closed his eyes, exhausted from his run. Running her fingers through his forelock, Alassë looked up through the thinning trees and wondered how late it could be. With no way of knowing, she lowered her chin and decided that she had better attempt to get some sleep.

* * *

"Good morning, ernil Legolas."

Legolas looked up as he entered the stables to see Rilien walking towards him, carrying a bucket of water in either hand. He smiled warmly as he set them down in front of a horse's stall and turned to face the prince.

"Greetings, Rilien," Legolas replied politely, lacking his usual enthusiasm. He smiled warmly, however, before making his way to Sirdal's stall. Noticing that the next stall over was empty, he pursed his lips.

"I see Alassë has been in already this morning?" He implored, curious as to where she had gone so early in the morning. Though he desperately wanted to make up with her as early as possible, he knew that she needed space. He would give her as much time as she needed. He knew that if she wanted to see him, she would make it happen when she was ready. He heard the stable hand shuffle uncomfortably behind him and turned, raising an eyebrow slightly in concern.

"Actually, ernil nin, I was going to ask if you had seen Alassë. She was supposed to be in this morning for work, but when I arrived here, she was not here and Tálagor was gone," Rilien stuttered, not wanting to tell Legolas this news. Legolas' face went blank and he turned back to Sirdal, reaching out to pet her neck. Alassë would never miss work, he knew this. Suddenly, he felt nauseous and took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"I have not seen her since last evening. She left early. She seemed to be in some distress, but assured me that she was fine."

Legolas closed his eyes and bit his lip. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Alassë was too smart to make such a rash decision, wasn't she? She could not have run away…

Rubbing Sirdal's forehead, he turned around and thanked Rilien before hurrying out of the stables. He knew of only one other elf who could possibly be able to help him find Alassë. Once he was out of the stables, he broke into a jog and ignored the curious glances of elves as he made his way through the buzzing streets. Trying to remember which cottage was the right one, he climbed the front steps and knocked briskly on the door, praying that the right someone would answer it.

The door soon opened and the prince managed a small smile as he recognised the brown haired she-elf standing inside. Anira smiled widely as she saw who it was and ushered him inside with enthusiasm.

"Ernil Legolas! What bring you here?" she questioned him, cocking an eyebrow as they sat down at her dining room table. Legolas folded his fingers together and rested his hands on the table.

"I need to know if you have seen Alassë today," he spoke quietly, staring at his hands. Anira felt her heart drop. She looked across the table at the prince.

"I have not seen her since the Feast, my lord," she said gently, suddenly very worried for her cousin. She could practically feel Legolas' concern from where she was sitting. She had never seen the prince like this, and frankly, it scared her. She reached across the table and put her hands over top of his. Legolas looked up at her, his eyes full of fear.

"We did not part on the best of terms, I'm afraid."

"I could check her cottage, ernil nin. She may simply be at home," Anira spoke softly, taking in the shocking information. She did not pester him about it, nor dwell on it for too long. Alassë hadn't been seen since the feast. Legolas only nodded, his eyes dull. The two stood up shakily and made their way to Alassë's house.

When they arrived at the little cottage just down the road, they found it empty and dark. They knocked on the door, but received no answer. They waited for what felt like an eternity before they came to the realisation that their friend was missing. Anira closed her eyes and swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. She turned to Legolas and they embraced each other, their hearts heavy. As he held the now sobbing Anira close, he let her cry on his chest. He would have cried too, if he could have, but he knew that tears would not bring Alassë home. He knew what he had to do, but he could only hope that she would be all right.

* * *

Alassë woke with a start the next morning as the sun broke through the trees. Her muscles tensed and she sprang to her feet, heart racing wildly before she remembered the previous night's events. Raising her hand to her heart, she closed her eyes and waited for her heartbeat to steady, before looking around. She was relieved to find Tálagor grazing contently not too far off, his tail swishing idly as he munched on the last green grass of spring.

With a heavy sigh, Alassë folded her arms across her chest and looked around, desperately wishing that this was all a dream and that she would wake up in her cottage. But she knew that this was all too real. Hearing his rider up and moving about, the grey stallion lifted his head and blew softly through his lips as if to ask when they would be going home. Alassë pursed her lips and wandered over to him.

"I wish I knew, Tálagor," she spoke softly to the old horse, knowing that he was not used to this way of life after so many years. Patting his neck, she felt fear claw its way into her once again, and this time she couldn't push it away. She had no idea where they were, and unlike Tálagor, she had absolutely no idea how to survive out here. Biting her lip, she clambered onto the stallion's back, deciding that sitting around doing nothing was the worst thing she could do. They picked up a brisk walk and carried on in the same direction that they had been travelling the night before, still hopeful that it would lead them towards the city.

Alassë's muscles ached with every step the stallion took. The fall had took a toll on her body, and the position that she had slept in the night before had not helped. Massaging her neck, Alassë kept her eyes peeled for anything that she might recognise.

She guessed it must have been about midday by the time she pulled Tálagor to a halt. How long had they been walking? There was still no indication of where they were. Alassë let go of the stallion's mane and slid down from his back, deciding that she would try to get a better idea of where they were. Walking over to the edge of the rough track that the path had become, she grabbed the lowest branch of the tree in front of her and tested its strength. With a great heave, she hoisted herself up onto the branch and grabbed hold of the next highest branch. Grateful for all of her work at the stables, she managed to climb to the top. Pushing through the few remaining leaves at the top of the tree, she blinked in the bright sunlight and lifted her free hand to shield her eyes.

When her eyes adjusted, she gasped and spun her head around as fast as she dared, nimble feet balancing easily on the thin branch. In every direction, she saw only trees. Great, tall trees much like the one she was standing on, surrounded her, with no sign of Eryn Lasgalen. Alassë dropped below the canopy, eyes shut tightly in denial. She held back from screaming and clasped her hand over her mouth, fighting the panic. After a couple of moments, she took a deep breath and stood up, once again looking out at the expanse of greenery, trying to decide what to do next. _Tálagor needs water… _She thought about the horse's hard run yesterday, and licked her own dry lips. _What do I do?_ Looking behind her, she noticed the Lonely Mountain far in the distance and attempted to remember her lessons from childhood. Where was Eryn Lasgalen in relation to the mountain? East? North? She shook her head and frowned. To her left were the Mountains of Mirkwood. Desperately racking her brain, she pulled at strings. Eryn Lasgalen was definitely… North from them? She turned and looked back at the Lonely Mountain, deciding that it must be… East from Eryn Lasgalen?

The two mountains did little to help her, as she saw nothing where she expected to see the city Halls. If she remembered anything, it was that the city of Eryn Lasgalen was situated somewhere in between the two landmarks. She rubbed her temples, mentally drained. Turning her attention back to the issue of finding water, she was happy that she could remember one thing. The Forest River flowed from the West towards Eryn Lasgalen, meaning that she shouldn't be too far from it. After one last look around her, she climbed down the tree and remounted Tálagor, continuing on in the direction that she hoped they would find water.

They walked until the sun was setting once again, with no sign of water. As the stallion marched on beneath her, she pulled her bag around in front of her and opened it up. Rummaging through its contents, she was relieved to find that she had packed some food. Pulling out and unwrapping a biscuit, she broke it in half and wrapped the other portion back up. Her stomach growled as she took a bite of the crumbly pastry, trying to remember the last time she had eaten. The biscuit was gone all too soon, and she was reaching back into her bag for the other half when she considered that she might need it tomorrow. Sighing, she pulled her hand from the pack and pushed it back around to rest on her back once again.

In what seemed like no time, the sun had set and the moon was high in the sky. Noticing a good place to shelter for the night, Alassë halted Tálagor and leapt off, forgetting her sore muscles. She winced slightly as her feet hit the ground. She then led the stallion over to the tree and urged him inside of the draped branches. Once they were under the tree, Alassë sunk down onto the ground and looked up at Tálagor. The stallion looked at her expectantly and snorted. When she did nothing but bite her lip, he stomped his foot. Alassë felt her heart tighten. She stood up and wrapped her arms around his warm neck.

"Oh, Tálagor. I promise you, tomorrow we will find water," she breathed into his coat, sincerely wishing that she would. Neither of them had had anything to dink in over a day, and the look in her father's horse's eyes was heart wrenching. After a moment, she let go of his neck and made her way back over to the trunk of the tree and sat down. With a heavy sigh, Tálagor joined her on the grass and closed his eyes.

Alassë watched the horse as he dozed off, thinking for a moment how tired he must be to have slept lying down two nights in a row. A single tear trickled down her cheek before she even realised her eyes were watering as she thought about what she had done to herself and to her father's horse.

"I'm so sorry, mellon," she whispered to the stallion. His ear flicked slightly as he listened, before relaxing once again. Turning away from the sleeping stallion, Alassë stared out into the darkness before her, hoping to be able to get some rest herself. Suddenly, she heard a twig break behind her and she froze in place. _What in the name of the Valar was that?_ She strained her ears and waited to see if she would hear the noise again, hoping that she had imagined it. Sure enough, she heard it again. It was getting closer! Her heart thudded in her chest and she desperately willed herself not to breath. Risking a glance in Tálagor's direction, she prayed that he would stay silent. Starting to panic, she wondered what could have made the noise. Was it a spider? Were the spiders coming back? _Or it could simply be a deer. _The seconds ticked by and she heard nor saw nothing else, but still she refused to move. If something did attack her, she had nothing to defend herself with. So she sat stock still in the darkness, silently praying that she and Tálagor would be safe.

* * *

_There you have it, finally done! Sorry about the cliffy, hehe._

_As Raider-K pointed out in their review, Alassë lost her parents 34 years ago, yet Tálagor is still alive and well. I meant to explain this in the earlier chapters, but it slipped my mind. This isn't cannon but in my mind, the elvish horses that live in Mirkwood live longer lives, on average, than a realistic horse. The elvish horses will normally live to be around the age of 45, but can live longer. I have decided that Tálagor is around 38 years old, and is therefore considered old (I think I mentioned this briefly somewhere). Hope this clears it up!_

_Thanks for reading! As always, please review and I will get back to you!_

_-Eru_


	11. Chapter 11

_Hello everybody! Amid finals for university I have managed to find some time for writing here and there! I hope that you all enjoy this next chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter 11:**

Legolas sat atop his horse, fists clenched tightly on the reins. His body swayed with every step, though he did not allow himself to relax into the saddle. As a result, his horse constantly flicked her ears back and forth, wondering what was the matter. Knowing that he was the reason for his horse's uneasiness, he leaned forward and laid a reassuring hand on her neck, his gaze never leaving the trees around him.

They had departed the night before and had ridden hard through the night in search of Alassë, who still had not turned up in the city. The horses were hot despite the cool morning air, and they were now getting a chance to catch their breath as the first light of day broke through the trees above them. The prince licked his lips as he watched the forest pass by, inspecting every tree for any trace of his friend. As soon as he and Anira had found Alassë's cottage empty, he had hurried to alert his father. Thranduil had ordered patrols to search the forest immediately, and Legolas had not hesitated to aid in the search. The king had immediately laid the blame on himself, but Legolas insisted that the only one to blame was himself. He had let her run away. Shaking his head, he pushed the feelings of guilt from his mind and turned to the elf on his right and nodded, before asking his mare for a canter. They could not afford to continue at such a leisurely pace.

* * *

Alassë's vision focused as she woke, her eyes instantly settling on the woods before her. Though not as shocked as she had been the morning before, the sight still made her heart flutter in fear. This was not her bed. These was the wilderness, an area unknown to her. Her lips were cracked and her throat was beginning to feel scratchy from the lack of water. Blinking, she raised her arms above her head and stretched, looking around for her horse. Instantly, her gaze focused on Tálagor, who was standing quietly not too far away from her, his head hung low. His nose was nearly touching the ground and his eyes were half closed, a dull sheen glazing them. The sight twisted Alassë's stomach into a knot as she leapt to her feet and rushed to the stallion's side. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she lifted it up gently pulled his head into her chest, hugging him tightly. Two days without any water was taking its toll on the aging stallion, more so than herself. Feeling tears at the corners of her eyes, she held his head close and looked up into the trees, praying that they would be able to find water soon.

Though she did not wish to burden Tálagor, she knew that their only hope was to keep moving in hopes of coming across as stream. Finishing her prayer, she stroked the stallion's nose.

"I'm sorry, mellon nin," she whispered softly. The stallion's ears flicked slightly at the sound of her voice. With an encouraging pat, Alassë started off and Tálagor followed. They walked slowly along the beaten path, stopping frequently when Tálagor needed a break. As the sun rose higher into the sky, Alassë thanked the Valar that she had not decided to run off during the summer months. Though the cool weather had been late in arriving this year, autumn had finally made its entrance, pushing away the last of the summer heat. Alassë was oblivious to the beauty around her, too lost in her own thoughts to notice the golden leaves that floated around her, reflecting the sun's rays.

As they reached the bottom of a shallow hill, Tálagor stopped and lowered himself onto his side, his head stretched out on the grass. Alassë spun on her heel and ran to his side, crouching down beside him on the ground. She stroked his face and he sighed deeply. Tears ran down her cheeks and she collapsed down onto her knees, lowering her face to his.

"Please, Tálagor, please don't leave me…" She sobbed into his forelock, her fingers tangled in his silver mane. The stallion nickered weakly and closed his eyes with a sigh. His breathing was shallow and his ears sat limp on top of his head. Alassë shifted her position and gently lifted his head onto her lap, cradling it in her arms as she prayed desperately for the stallion to live. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry…"

* * *

The sun was setting between the trees as Legolas reined in his horse as they arrived at a small stream, his heart heavy. They had been riding all day with no signs at all of Alassë. What tracks they had been able to find in the hard packed dirt had had either been older than a few days or not equine hoof prints. When they had first set out from the stables, Legolas had been confident that they were headed in the correct direction, as they had noticed the faint tracks in the path that Alassë most often rode on. But now, a whole day later, the prince was having huge doubts. Allowing himself to close his eyes for a moment, he wished that Aragorn was with him. Though Legolas had done his fair share of tracking in his lifetime, he was certain that the now king of Gondor would have been able to pick up clues that even the elves' keen eyesight had missed.

"We stop here, the horses need water," he said as he dismounted from the mare, leading her towards the rocky stream. As darkness settled on the forest, it settled too on his soul. For the first time, he allowed himself to consider the possibility that they wouldn't find Alassë. As he strolled along the river bank, his grief changed suddenly to anger. Out of sight from the other elves, he sat down on the bank and stared out across the water. As the sun set, it reflected off of the water's silky surface. Picking up a stone, Legolas clenched his teeth and chucked it into the stream. As the ripples floated away downstream, he cupped his face in his hands and closed his eyes tightly, wishing that he could just hide away from the world.

"Where are you, Alassë?" he spoke into his hands, his voice muffled. Removing his hands from his face, he resumed staring out across the river and into the now black forest on the other side. Alassë was out there somewhere. He shivered at the thought of her in this darkness alone and unprotected. He stared into the darkness for a while before he became restless. With a deep sigh, Legolas stood up and headed back to where the rest of the patrol was resting their horses.

Making his way over to where some of the patrol was gathered, he laid a hand on one of the elves' shoulders.

"Eruadan," Legolas addressed the elf who turned around at his touch.

"Legolas," the brown-haired elf acknowledged the prince, his mouth set in a line.

Legolas had known Eruadan his whole life and the two had always been close. Eruadan was the first one to be called upon whenever Legolas assembled a patrol or was heading out of the city. Though normally an elf in high spirits, the warrior had no cause for joy with his old friend in such a bad situation.

"Have the horses had long enough to rest and have a drink?" Legolas asked, wishing that they didn't have to ride through the night again. Eruadan nodded. "Good. Ready and mount, gwaem(let's go)!" He raised his voice so that the rest of the patrol would hear. A few moments later they were setting off once again down the trail.

"We follow the river," Legolas said as the group picked up a trot.

Holding the reins loosely in one hand, he sat on the mare's back as she trotted on beneath him. Patting her neck with his free hand, he thanked her for carrying him for such a long period of time. Though they had planned on riding through the night, Legolas had figured that they would have found Alassë by now. Sighing, he picked up the reins with his other hand and starting to survey the darkness around him once more.

Suddenly, his mare let out a snort and pricked her ears forward. Lifting a hand to signal the rest of the patrol to stop, Legolas pulled the mare to a halt and strained to hear any noise. Strangely, his ears picked up no sound. After listening for several moments, Legolas let out the breath he had been holding. Lowering his hand, he motioned for the party to continue on and nudged his horse forward. The mare stood still with her head in the air, feet stamped firmly in the ground. Furrowing his brow, Legolas urged the mare forwards, but still she wouldn't move. With a determined snort, she tossed her head and let out a shrill whinny.

Baffled, the prince turned to the rest of his patrol and saw the other horses displaying equal levels of displeasure. Scratching the back of his head, Legolas suddenly felt the air go dry with static and froze, his eyes searching the darkness for any signs of what could be spooking the horses. Suddenly, the forest around them was illuminated with a flash of white lightening. Grabbing a handful of the mare's black mane, Legolas held on tight as she shied from the light, dancing around violently beneath him. While the horses spooked, Legolas tried to focus on what was happening. A thunderstorm this late in the year? His mare whirled around and attempted to flee in the direction she knew led back to the city, but Legolas would not let her.

"Av-'osto, Mellon nin," The prince whispered to the mare, pulling back on the reins evenly. His voice was quickly lost in the boom of thunder that followed. With a fresh sense of panic, the mare reared up, briefly causing Legolas to lose his balance. Desperately trying to stay in the saddle, he threw himself forwards, forcing the mare to land back on the ground, shaking. It was a while before the patrol managed to calm their mounts down. With every second that ticked by, Legolas prepared for the next round of lightening, yet none came. Narrowing his eyes in confusion, he waited patiently for the horses to settle down. Once the horses were standing still, the prince commanded his patrol up into a trot and they continued on, the night once again calm.

As they trotted through the darkness, Eruadan rode up beside Legolas, who glanced over at his friend briefly before continuing to search the darkness.

"A single strike of lightening," he remarked, wondering what the prince thought of such an event.

"And yet not a single drop of rain has fallen this night," The prince added, his jaw tense. No sooner had the words escaped his mouth did a thought cross his mind. As one word worked its way through his mind, he smelled it.

"Fire!"

* * *

Alassë woke up to an eerie tingle in her spine and sat up straight away. The echoes of thunder faded into the distance as she caught her breath, startled from the noise. Her face was still wet from crying and as she reached up to wipe away her tears, she looked down and noticed Tálagor still lying beside her, his breathing ragged and forced. Leaning forward, she closed her eyes and prayed once again for the stallion's life. Once she had finished her plea, she stood up and brushed off her tunic. Glancing around, her ears picked up an amazing sound through the trees.

"Valar, could it be?" she whispered hesitantly, taking a few steps in the direction of the sound. With every footstep, the sound of burbling water grew louder in her ears. Relief coursed through her and she picked up a jog, whipping branches out of her way as she ran through the trees. As the sound grew, however, Alassë suddenly felt that something was terribly wrong. Sliding to a stop in the middle of the trees, fear gripped her heart as she realised that what she had though was the sound of water was quite the opposite. Spinning on her heels, she let out a short cry as she burst into a sprint, desperate to get back to Tálagor.

"Tálagor!" She screamed as she burst through the trees, twigs snapping beneath her feet as she frantically made her way back towards where she had left the stallion. She could hear the flames behind her and smell the smoke now. There was no doubt left in her mind that it was a fire. How stupid she had been! Leaving him behind… She had searched for days with no signs of water and yet still she had clung to the hope of finding it so nearby. The smoke stung her eyes and she coughed as she emerged onto the path.

From behind her she heard the sound of hoof beats and turned, hoping to see the stallion up on his feet and running for his life. Instead, she saw a large patrol, galloping full tilt in her direction. Her heart dropped as she realised that Tálagor must still be farther back. As the patrol closed in on her, she ducked her head and ran desperately in the direction of the stallion. She didn't get far before she felt a firm hand on her shoulder, pulling her up into the saddle. Strong arms wrapped firmly around her waist, holding her close.

"No!" Alassë screamed at the top of her lungs. "Tálagor!" She thrashed about violently, clawing at the arms that held her firmly in the saddle. She closed her eyes and wailed as she saw the flames appear, knowing that her father's stallion lay dying just ahead. As the elf behind her turned his horse around, Alassë saw the forest merge into one big canvas of red and orange. She screamed as the blurry orange scene before her transformed into the black of the night. She felt the wind whipping at her face as the horse sprang into a gallop, but the heat from the fire grew more intense with every step they took into the night. The sweat beaded on her forehead, but she barely felt the heat. Her heart was aching, a deep hurt worse than any physical pain she had ever felt.

Just when she felt that she couldn't deal with the pain any longer, she was shocked back to her senses as the heat that surrounded her turned suddenly to an icy chill. Gasping, Alassë opened her eyes and sucked in the air with a great heave. The air was thick with smoke and breathing it in only caused her to cough violently. She could feel her lungs struggling to deal with the smoke and momentarily forgot about Tálagor as her brain tried to keep her body functioning. Just as she was sure she was going to suffocate, a gentle hand raised a piece of wet fabric to her mouth.

"Breath, Alassë!"

With these words, Alassë snapped back to reality. The reality of the situation came tumbling down and she sat shaking on the horse as she noticed the rest of the patrol gathered close together in the river. Water. The fire. Alassë screamed again as Tálagor sprang back into her mind. The hand that was not holding the fabric to her lips tightened around her waist, attempting to calm her down. After several minutes of struggling, she stopped, shaking.

"Tálagor…" Alassë sobbed into the wet cloth, shoulders slumping in defeat. As her body relaxed, she felt the hand leave her mouth and felt the cloth put gently into her hand.

"Cover your mouth, Alassë," the rider behind her urged gently, raising her hand with his own.

Taking hold of the fabric as the hand guided her own, she pressed it weakly to her lips and took a deep breath, before lifting her head to look around again. Before she could open her eyes, she was stopped by the voice behind her.

"Please, do not look, Alassë."

Suddenly, something in her brain clicked and she realised who was sitting behind her.

"Legolas…" she whispered, feeling another round of tears pushing their way out. The hands were back around her waist, pulling her close as she felt him nod his head in affirmation.

"I'm here, you're safe now," he murmured from over her shoulder.

"Tálagor…" she whimpered again as the tears trailed down her cheeks. She could hear the fire that now surrounded them and felt the heat burning her cheeks. Legolas shushed her, releasing his grip slowly, but Alassë quickly reached down and stopped him. Reassuring her that he was not going to leave her, he withdrew his hands and hopped off of the mare and into the water below before reaching up and lowering Alassë into the water beside him, which had warmed up greatly. As her feet touched the water, Alassë sank to her knees and cupped her free hand before drinking from the small pool in her palm. As she drank, Legolas kneeled beside her in the river and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I sent two of my patrol off in search of your stallion…" he said calmly with a glance behind him as he held his own piece of fabric to his mouth. Opening her eyes, Alassë looked up at him. She stared at him, a blank expression on her face. He had sent two of his own patrol off into the flames? Finally finding her words, she stared down at the water, which glowed orange in the flames.

"We had no water… We were so close…"

The prince said nothing, but instead gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Shifting her legs so that she was sitting in the water, she leaned against the prince and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted. The tears rolled down her ashen cheeks and she heard Legolas speak as she drifted off to sleep.

"Have hope, mellon nin. You are safe now."

* * *

_This chapter took me ages to complete! I'm sorry that it is shorter than the other recent chapters, but I hope the plot makes up for it. Hopefully it doesn't read weird, I got too lazy to proof-read this. Also, I kind of went crazy with this one… heh. I went into this with a simple idea and it kind of exploded on me so… I still haven't decided what it going to happen in the next chapter but since I'm almost done school that should give me plenty of time to figure it out, right? Anyways, I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter… I nearly made myself cry writing this!_

_-Eru_


	12. Chapter 12

_Hello, mellyn nin! I've had quite a bit of trouble getting this chapter written. I've had a hard time deciding what to do with Tálagor and the like, so I'm just going to write and see what comes out haha… Hopefully you will all enjoy this chapter, whatever it turns out to be like! Also, I'm going to try to get this chapter back up to the longer length of some of my previous ones._

* * *

**Chapter 12:**

"_And if the night is burning  
I will cover my eyes_

_For if the dark returns  
Then my brothers will die."_

* * *

Alassë stirred as a cold droplet of water tickled her cheek. As she came to her senses, the first thing she noticed was the smell of the charred forest around her. Opening her eyes, she found herself wrapped in a traveling cape that was not her own which shielded her from the icy rain that now fell from the sky. With a hushed moan, Alassë shifted and noticed that she was wrapped in a warm pair of arms which held her close. Lifting the cape from over her eyes, she looked up and met Legolas' gaze as the rain blurred her vision. In that instant, she remembered everything. Running away. The fire…

"Tálagor," she found herself murmuring softly as she closed her eyes and leaned against the prince's chest. Legolas hushed her gently and covered her once again with his cape.

Legolas had asked two of his patrol, Nedhudir and Rainion to do a quick search for the stallion, and had strongly urged them to use caution and to return quickly if they did not find him nearby. The fire had consumed the forest around the river and Legolas had begun to fear for the safety of the city. After countless prayers, the clouds had burst and a steady stream of water was pouring down from the sky, drowning out the flames. The smoke had remained thick in the damp air, and the horses and elves had needed to breathe through the damp fabric for the duration of the night despite the flames having been extinguished. As the dawn broke through the smoldering forest, the air had finally cleared. Hours later, the patrol had still not seen any sign of Nedhudir or Rainion, and Legolas was beginning to fear the worst.

Closing his eyes, he whispered another prayer to the Valar that they would return safely. How foolish he had been to send them off into the fire! Never in his life had he made such a poor decision. He had been desperate, knowing how much the stallion meant to Alassë. But sending two of his own patrol into a situation as dangerous as that was something that he would never be able to live down. What would he tell their families? Though they had not started families of their own, they surely had family that would never forgive their prince for behaving so rashly. Legolas shook his head. Their own prince…

Legolas looked down at Alassë as she stirred again, before she lifted the cape from her eyes once more to look up at him through the rain. As she opened her mouth, Legolas raised his hand and rested it on her head, ready to calm her once more. Instead, she spoke evenly this time, eerily calm.

"Tálagor is dead, isn't he?" she spoke as strongly as she could. Her throat burned and her eyes stung from the smoke the night before, but her mind was numb. Legolas tightened his jaw, unsure of what to say. How do you comfort someone who has lost so much? Instead of speaking, he pulled Alassë closer against his chest and ran his hand through her head. Sighing, she leaned her head against him. How thankful he was that she was safe!

He had not been able to believe his eyes when she had burst from the trees in front of them, the flames on her heels. In that split second, Legolas was sure that he had felt all possible emotions. Relief that she was standing before him, guilt that he had pained her. Anger that she had run, and fear that she was still in danger. In that whirlwind of emotions, he had swept her up and turned back towards the river, their only hope of surviving the blaze. It was only when Alassë had begun to scream for her father's stallion that Legolas had remembered. Now that they were safe and sound and the fire was put out, all he could do was hope that by some miracle Tálagor had made it, and that any minute now-

"Legolas!"

The prince jumped as he was yanked from his troubled thoughts, causing Alassë to start. She sat up and rubbed her eyes as Legolas got to his feet and turned to see Eruadan waving to him from the river bank. As Legolas stood, Alassë followed his gaze. Though her vision was blurred, she could make out the figure at the edge of the river. She looked up and was about to inquire when Legolas spoke up without meeting her gaze.

"Wait here," he said quickly as he adjusted the cape over Alassë's head, before jogging through the shallows towards the figure on the bank. Before the even got to the edge of the river, his heart overflowed with relief. Astride their horses were Nedhudir and Rainion, their faces and clothes black with ash. The horses themselves were also stained from their chests up with the thick black soot, and wore hacked off pieces of their riders' tunics around their muzzles. Legolas broke into a sprint and leapt up onto the bank to join Eruadan as the horses neared the river. Then he noticed the grey horse being pulled along behind and his heart sank. _No. _

As Legolas stood on the riverbank, Alassë struggled to see normally. Frustrated with her blurry vision, she removed Legolas' cape from her head and ducked her face into the water before opening her eyes, ignoring the stinging as the river rinsed the ash from her eyes. As she lifted her face from the river, she blinked and immediately noticed an improvement. Wiping the dripping water from her face, she lifted the hood up again. As she turned her head towards the riverbank, she felt the colour drain from her face.

Springing to her feet, she sprinted through the river, falling once as her feet caught in the rocks. Clambering up the muddy bank, she hurried towards Tálagor, who was laying on a makeshift sled behind the two members of the patrol who had just returned. As she neared the stallion, she felt Legolas' strong hands on her shoulders and suddenly felt her remaining strength leave her body and she collapsed on the charred ground in a heap. Trembling, she lifted her head and stared at the body on the sled, her mind numb. Thoughts and sounds jumbled in her head, and she watched in a daze as one of the riders jumped from his horse and rushed to the stallion, with the other quickly joining in on helping to get the stallion off of the sled. Through her muddled thoughts, she was able to pick out two words.

"He's alive?" Legolas spoke incredulously as he moved to help. No sooner were the words out of his mouth did the stallion flick his ear weakly to the familiar voice.

Alassë lay in a crumpled heap on the sooty ground, watching in a daze as the elves gently carried the stallion over to the river and introduced him to the water. _Tálagor is alive! _She willed herself to get up, to run to him and help, but her body would not move. After several agonising moments, she managed to pull herself up and jolted herself back to the present.

"Tálagor!" She whispered as she made her way to him urgently, lowering herself to his side and stroking his face. The stallion opened his eyes and looked up at her before letting out a weak nicker in greeting, but he did not move his head. Cupping some of the cool water from the river in her hands, she ran it down over his lips, desperately willing him to reach for the water on his own and drink. But instead of making any move to drink, the stallion sighed and closed his eyes once again.

Alassë didn't know what to do. Despite her knowledge, something like this was out of her abilities. She knew how to take care of a sick horse, or how to bring up a young colt. How to nurse a dehydrated horse who did not want to drink was beyond her skill sets, and that scared Alassë more than anything. After several more failed attempts by both herself and the elves around her, she closed her eyes and leaned down, resting her cheek against Tálagor's.

"Please, please, Tálagor. You must drink," she whispered, praying to the Valar that the stallion would get well. Tálagor flicked his ear towards her as she spoke, but remained otherwise still on the ground. After one more attempt to encourage the stallion, Alassë sat back on her heels and closed her eyes as the tears flowed down her cheeks. She felt Legolas take her hand in his own and help her up off of the ground before wrapping her in a hug. At this simple display of un-elflike behaviour, Alassë broke down, sobbing loudly, far too distraught to be embarrassed.

"Alassë," Legolas said gently after a few long moments. "Tálagor…"

Alassë opened her eyes and turned around slowly to see the great stallion using every ounce of strength he had left to push himself up onto his front legs. Breaking free from Legolas' embrace, she rushed towards the stallion, sobbing in relief, and wrapped her arms around his neck as he heaved himself up onto wobbly legs. Leaning against him, she helped him to stand as Legolas ran to retrieve a bucket from the camp that had been set up on the riverbank. Tálagor stood, his legs splayed apart with his head hung low as his sides heaved. After quickly filling the bucket up in the river, the prince offered it to the stallion, who sniffed it before turning away, uninterested.

"Let me," Alassë said in a shaky voice. Legolas handed her the bucket as a few other elves made their way over to help support Tálagor. Kneeling on the ground beside the stallion's head, Alassë offered him the water once again.

"Please, mellon. I cannot bear to lose you. You must drink," she murmured gently, stroking his grey muzzle, looking into his deep brown eyes. Tálagor looked back at her, his ears turning slowly towards her as she spoke to him. "The Valar have given you the strength to stand. Please, drink, Tálagor." Alassë watched in amazement as Tálagor slowly dipped his nose down into the bucket and drank. A fresh round of tears fell down Alassë's cheeks and her lips slowly twisted up into a smile as Tálagor emptied the bucket. Quickly, she filled it and offered it to him once again. He drank the second bucket with renewed desperation, as if he had finally realised how much he needed the water. Alassë's heart soared as he finished the third bucket, and though she did not want to stop, she decided that he had had enough water for now.

"We don't want to upset your stomach," she said as the stallion looked at her expectantly. Setting the bucket down at her feet, Alassë wrapped his head in her arms, thankful that he was alive. Turning to the rest of the patrol, Alassë looked at them and smiled, only now finding the time to be embarrassed. Her cheeks turned pink as she realised that she was the reason they had all been caught in the fire in the first place. Suddenly remembering how Tálagor had returned, she searched for the two elves that had found him. Her gaze settled on two faces through the rain and she smiled, somewhat shyly, in gratitude.

"I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you brought him back to me…" she began, not knowing what to say to thank them for what they had done. "You risked your lives for him. What are your names?"

"I am Nedhudir, and this is Rainion", a blonde haired elf replied as both gestured their thanks to her kind words. "We knew that the horse must mean a great deal to you. No thanks is needed, Lady Alassë."

* * *

As the day wore on, the rain finally eased up, before stopping as the sun began to set behind the forest. Or at least, what was left of it. Legolas had sent two of his patrol back to the city to arrange for a wagon to transport Tálagor back to the stables. Over the day, Alassë had managed to coax the stallion into drinking a fair amount of water, and he was slowly starting to show signs of improvement.

Now, as the sun was setting on the horizon, Alassë sat alone a little ways downstream, taking in the charred remains of the once beautiful forest. How much of it was gone? She rested her chin in her hands and sighed sadly as she thought of all of the trees that had been turned to ash over the night. How sad it was that in just a matter of hours, so much had been lost to the flames. Legolas had already assured her that the city was fine, as the rain had started soon enough that it should have been able to put out the fire before it got close. As she stared out across the water, she heard soft footsteps behind her and turned slowly to see Legolas making his way over to where she sat.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her as he joined her on the boulder that she was sitting on. Alassë met his eyes quickly before looking away awkwardly. They had not yet spoken of her running away, and Alassë was beginning to wonder if the matter would be addressed at all.

"I am all right," she said quietly as she gazed down at her feet, drawing circles in the ash on the ground.

Legolas sighed and stared out across the water, unsure of what to say. Alassë sensed that he was as uncomfortable as she and started to stand to head back to the camp, but she was stopped by a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Please, stay with me for a moment," Legolas said quietly, catching her gaze as Alassë turned to look at him. Nodding in response, she sat back down.

"I… I am sorry for causing so much trouble," she murmured, embarrassed that the king had sent out patrols just to look for her. She should have known that he would have, since it was public knowledge that she was courting the prince. Or at least, that's what the rest of Eryn Lasgalen believed.

"Do not worry, I do not wish to speak of it," Legolas replied softly, laying his hand over her own, which was resting at her side on the rock. His touch made her skin tingle, and Alassë felt a pang of grief in her heart, but did not pull away from his touch. She did not know what to do or what to tell Legolas.

"Legolas, I-"

"I know," he interrupted her gently, not wanting her to speak the words he knew were on her tongue. The two sat in silence before Legolas sat up straight and removed his hand from hers.

"When we return, do you still wish for me to teach you some more archery?" He changed the topic and turned to her.

"Yes, I would like that." Alassë replied as she put on her best smile and turned to face him, meeting his eyes. The familiar blue gaze held her for a moment before she broke the spell by turning her gaze once again to her feet, her heart in a turmoil. _I cannot be a disappointment to King Thranduil._

Unable to stay sitting so close to Legolas any longer, Alassë rose to her feet. "I'm going to check on Tálagor," she said quietly before starting off towards the camp. As she walked away, she heard Legolas speak up.

"He never meant what he said, Alassë."

Alassë hesitated for a split second as his words sunk in, but she refused to believe it. She had heard it herself. No one said anything so blunt without meaning it. Shutting her eyes tight, she continued to walk away, unable to speak as the tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

* * *

_So unfortunately that was an unsuccessful attempt at a longer chapter. I promise that I will have the next one up a little sooner because of this one being shorter than I would have liked. Hope that you all enjoyed reading it! The plot is a little crazy (and a bit depressing even, or is that just me?) right now, I know. I promise that everything will settle down soon._

_New name pronunciations:_

_Rainion "Rye-nee-on"_

_Nedhudir "Neth-oo-dear"_

_As always, thanks for the reviews and favourites! Keep them coming, I will always get back to every review ASAP! Ideas are appreciated as right now I am unsure exactly what is going to happen next. Although I do have the general plot laid out in my head, your suggestions always come in handy and provide with me a fresh take on the story!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_-Eru_


	13. Chapter 13

_Hello everyone, sorry for the delay! I know I said that this chapter would be up soon due to the shorter length of the previous one, but I had a major case of writer's block and I couldn't get anything written for days… So I've forced myself to sit down and write, no matter how crappy it is. Don't worry though, I've gone through everything and fixed it all up now that I've shaken the writer's block! Enjoy!_

_Also, I have added images of Tálagor and Sirdal to my profile!_

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

Alassë sat up and peered around the driver as the wagon rounded the last bend before the city. The wagon had arrived late last evening, and Tálagor had been lifted with the help of the rest of the patrol onto the bed of the wagon, which had been padded with straw. Now the stallion dozed quietly, his breath gently rustling the straw. Alassë glanced back towards the patrol, who were riding behind the wagon, and met eyes with Legolas, who smiled warmly. Alassë managed a smile small in return, before lowering her gaze to Tálagor. She had chosen to ride in the wagon instead of riding behind Legolas, as she was still not over their awkward confrontation from the day before. She had not told him that, of course. She had said that she wanted to be near the stallion during the trip, which was true as well.

One of the horses behind her let out a short whinny as the group entered the city. As the wagon pulled out of the woods and into the sunlight, the driver gave a friendly nod to the guard who stood watch. The guard smiled back and then turned to Alassë, welcoming her back with his hand over his heart. Alassë's cheeks flushed pink as she realised that everyone had known about her disappearance. Turning around quickly, Alassë sunk low behind the side, hoping to be hidden from most of the prying eyes as they passed through the streets. The wagon made its way along the busy road, most elves not taking any notice until they caught sight of the returning patrol behind it, at which they would return their gazes to the wagon, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Alassë groaned inwardly as elflings gathered behind the patrol, clutching their parents' sleeves and pointing towards her._ In the least they all seem relieved to see me_, Alassë thought, watching as the little elves bounced around. _They most likely think me mad,_ she thought as her gaze shifted to the older elves, who eyed her curiously.

"I'll bet that I am the first elf to run away from the prince…" she muttered to herself as she picked at a piece of straw, ashamed of her actions. She had not considered the consequences of running away, and now they were all slapping her in the face.

Thankfully, the trip through the city did not take too long, and they were soon pulling up outside of the stables. Thankful for the tranquility in this part of the city, Alassë stood up in the straw and stretched, stiff from the long trip. She had travelled a lot farther than she had originally thought, and it had taken them the whole night and the better part of the morning to arrive in Eryn Lasgalen. As she was about to hop down from the back of the wagon, Legolas offered her his hand. She took it and stepped down easily onto the cobblestone. She met his eyes as he let go of her hand and bit her lip, nodding in response to his silent words. To the rest of the city, they were in courtship. This whole incident would have to be played off as another ordeal completely.

It was not nearly as difficult to get Tálagor off of the wagon as it was to load him. As soon as the stallion was lowered to the ground and the elves had backed away, he was up on his hooves. He gave himself a big shake, sending straw flying in every direction. Despite the situation, Alassë found herself laughing as she realised that everything was going to be okay. Tálagor was alive and well, and they were home. The stallion was stiff from the long ride, but he followed Alassë eagerly into the stables. As Alassë closed the stable door behind them, they grey horse made his way immediately towards his stall, but stopped short to poke his nose over Sirdal's door. At once, the filly let out a joyous whinny and bounded over to sniff the stallion. Grinning widely, Alassë quickly joined the pair, entering the filly's stall and wrapping her arms around Sirdal's neck in a warm embrace.

"Oh little Sirdal, I'm back," she whispered into the filly's mane, breathing in her scent. "I promise I shall never leave you again!"

After several moments, Alassë withdrew her arms and backed up against the stall wall, taking a moment to really look over the filly. Though it had only been a few weeks, the filly had already grown a fair amount, and had put on quite a bit of muscle thanks to her training with Legolas.

"I suppose you will not be my little Sirdal for much longer," Alassë smiled sadly as she realised that soon Sirdal would be backed and her under saddle training would begin. She stood in the quiet of the empty stables for a while, watching as the two horses settled down and began to munch peacefully on their hay. In the silence, the stable door suddenly creaked as it swung open and soft footsteps made their way towards her. Alassë did not need to look to know who had entered. She recognised his footsteps.

"I fear that I am making you uncomfortable," Legolas spoke quietly as he approached the stall, folding his arms on top of the door before leaning on them. Alassë swallowed and turned to him slowly, unsure how to handle the situation.

"It is not your fault," she started, finding the courage to look up and hold his gaze. Legolas frowned at her words, troubled.

"I accept full responsibility for causing you so much pain," he replied, lacking the stability that he usually spoke with.

"I acted rashly, I did not think," Alassë stated, her own voice wavering as she recalled running from Legolas that night. She turned her head as her face flushed, tears welling in her eyes. She shut her eyes momentarily, attempting to regain her composure. "I did not consider my actions. I only ran from them," she continued, looking back towards Legolas.

There was a long pause between the two of them, neither one knowing what to next, both afraid to say the wrong thing. Finally, Legolas spoke up.

"My father," he paused for a moment, putting together the sentence in his head before he spoke. "My father was deeply grieved to learn of your disappearance. He blamed himself."

Alassë turned away and looked down at her feet, shame washing over her. She stood in silence, waiting for the prince to speak first.

"Alassë," Legolas said gently, wishing that he could do more to comfort her. He wished to embrace her, but he knew that holding her so close would only make her uncomfortable. He felt his heart ache as he watched her shift timidly, and wished that he knew what to say to make everything better. "He did not mean-"Alassë interrupted him before he could finish.

"I heard everything, Legolas. You cannot speak such words and not mean what you have said," she stated, her eyes full of sadness. Legolas bowed his head slightly and lowered his hands to his sides, defeated. She was right, of course, and he did not know what else to say in his father's defence.

"I wish that you had not overheard his words that night," he said, his face blank.

"So do I," Alassë replied, lowering her gaze to the floor. "But I did, and I cannot go against his wishes. He is my king, and I do not wish to displease him after all he has given me here."

Legolas listened to her words, his heart in his throat. "What I feel for you is real, Alassë." Alassë's heart skipped a beat, her eyes looking back up as he lifted his own gaze. "And though my father may not yet be able to understand that, he will come to accept it." He paused for a moment as he debated whether or not to carry on. He had no idea where his words were coming from, but he felt a desperate need to come to terms with Alassë, to get rid of the tension between them.

"I've lived for a long time. I've travelled Middle Earth, and though I was not looking for love, I found it. I found it in the most unlikely of places, right here in Eryn Lasgalen, where I believed there was nothing more for me. My father may not understand, but if he truly loves me as his son, he will accept my decision." As the prince spoke, he made his way into the stall and stood in front of Alassë. "And in time, he too will realise that there is more to the world than wealth and blood. He has a kind heart, Alassë, but it is clouded by these things. You must trust me," he finished, his hands shaking slightly at his sides. Never before had he spoken words like that, or felt so passionately about anyone.

Alassë stood, her heart beating rapidly in her chest, her lips parted slightly in shock. Never had she expected such words from Legolas, but she had heard them just now, with her own ears. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words come to her tongue. She stood for a moment, unsure of what to do. Legolas had just opened himself up to her, exposed himself. And she was still standing here, dumbfounded. _What do I say?_ She screamed at herself. Just as Legolas was opening his mouth to speak again, Alassë quickly interjected.

"You said that you would wait for me, in your note," she started, her voice shaking as her pulse raced. Legolas nodded, closing his mouth, relieved that she had begun to speak. Alassë searched for the words, but her mind failed her.

"Yes, I would wait as long as I had to, Alassë," Legolas spoke gently when Alassë did not continue. He offered her a small smile as she looked up at him, and saw desperation in her eyes. She wanted to be able to say yes to him, to agree to jump right back in where they had left off. They had been so happy, and now they were stuck in a dark hole, a vicious circle that they needed to find a way out of. After a brief pause that seemed to last forever, Alassë's lips curved up into a true smile and she lifted her head to look at him.

"I have had enough of this tension between us. Let us be friends once again and hope that in time our scars will heal." She spoke softly, hoping that the prince would understand her hesitation to jump right back into things. A smile broke on Legolas' face, and he nodded his head in agreement, relieved.

"I would be glad to call you friend again, mellon nin," he said, his eyes regaining their twinkle in the early afternoon sunlight that shone through the windows. Alassë felt the last bit of tension leave her body as she stood with the prince, and allowed herself to wonder if someday they might be anything more than friends.

* * *

"Steady your hand," Legolas' encouraging voice rang clear in her ear as Alassë focused on the target before her. Letting out a deep breath, she released the bowstring and the arrow sang through the air, hitting its mark.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, lowering the bow to her side. She had been practising for the better part of the morning, and had at last hit the centre of the target. A smile lit up her face and she turned to Legolas, expecting congratulations. Instead, he stood looking across the meadow at the target, and turned to her after a moment.

"I shall be impressed when you can hit the centre consistently, he said with a grin. Alassë pouted and hit him playfully on the arm.

"Who is it who dares assault the prince of the Woodland realm?" he raised his voice in mock anger, straitening his posture and leaning forward in an intimidation fashion. Alassë only laughed and reached behind her for another arrow, which she nocked quickly. Her hands had become skilled with much practice, but her aim still left something to be desired.

Over the past two weeks, the pair had been coming to the meadow to practice with the bow. At their first meeting since they had returned to the city, Legolas had brought along with him his old bow, and had given it to Alassë. He explained that it had been the bow that he had set out from Mirkwood with, and had used for the beginning of his quest. At first she had objected, but after some persuasion, Alassë had agreed to keep it. She was glad that she had agreed to use it, as it was a great deal smaller than Legolas' bow of the Galadhrim, and Alassë found it much easier to handle.

Drawing back the bowstring, she raised it to her cheek and eyed the target. After a brief hesitation, she loosened her fingers and the arrow sailed through the air, hitting the target just off the centremost ring. Alassë sighed, not pleased that she had missed by such a small margin.

"Do not be discouraged," Legolas smiled as she turned to him. "I was taught at a young age. You have some catching up to do if you hope to ever shoot like a soldier."

Alassë nodded and reached into the quiver on her back, only to find it empty. Legolas followed as Alassë made her way over to the tree and began to pluck the arrows from the tree.

"You have learned a lot already, I am impressed," he added as Alassë yanked on an arrow that was wedged particularly deep in the bark. She pulled it out, thankful when it did not break, and turned to the prince, smiling.

"Thank you, although I feel that you are lying," she laughed, her heart light. Legolas chuckled too, but shook his head at the same time, denying her claim. Alassë finished pulling the rest of the arrows out of the target and swung them over her shoulder and into the quiver, before wiping her hands on her tunic.

"I think that I have had enough practice for today," she said with a huff, wishing that she could magically acquire the skills that Legolas possessed. Legolas nodded, turning his head back in the direction of the city.

"I was planning on returning anyways. I would like to start Sirdal's mounted training today. I would suggest that you stay and practice on your own, as it is good to do so without guidance once in a while, but I suspect that you would much rather return with me to work with Sirdal," he replied, twisting his mouth into a quirky grin.

"You have come to know me so well," Alassë chuckled, slinging the bow across her shoulder and following Legolas across the meadow towards the path.

As they walked quietly back towards the stables, Alassë looked around at the woods. The trees that were once green and lush were now stripped bare, their leaves blanketing the path before them. The forest floor was a gorgeous canvas of red, orange, and gold, and the sun shone down through the branches and shimmered on the damp leaves.

Over the past two weeks, Alassë had been keeping a close eye on Tálagor, who was making an excellent recovery, much to her relief. Legolas had been spending much of his time at the stables, but also had work to attend to in the Halls. Sirdal had made great progress, and was now nearly two years old. The thought of the filly being ridden made Alassë feel both proud and worried at the same time, for it meant that she would soon be ridden out for patrols. Shaking off the thought, Alassë turned her thoughts back to the prince at her side. She had been afraid that their first archery meeting since her running away was going to be an awkward one, but much to her delight, they had been able to talk like old friends right away. Alassë smiled as she thought about how relaxed she now felt around Legolas, but deep down she felt a pang of guilt. It was not often that she felt her heart yearn for more. Had she given him false hope that she would be able to love him? She hoped not.

Though Alassë's friends knew what was going on between her and the prince, much of the city still believed them to be courting. She had discussed it with Legolas and they had agreed that there was nothing that needed to be done for the time being. Alassë hoped that everything would eventually go back to the way it had been before the Feast, so that the prince wouldn't have to worry about explaining the situation. But for the time being, they were ignoring the whispers and just going about their friendship as usual.

They soon arrived back at the barn. Heading into the stables behind Legolas, Alassë followed him to Sirdal's stall and waited as he spoke to the filly. Soon, the grey filly was walking behind the prince on their way to the training ring. Although she already knew that the filly would have no problems with the elf on her back, Alassë felt butterflies in her stomach as she latched the gate behind them.

"Now, little one, today is a big day for you and me alike!" Legolas said, laying a hand on the filly's neck. Sirdal bobbed her head as if to agree, and blew a gentle snort through her nostrils, her ears pricked forward curiously.

Alassë leaned on the fence post at the edge of the ring, not wanting to intrude. This was a special moment that was meant to be shared between horse and rider, and she did not want to spoil it. Sirdal's ears followed the sound of his voice as he made his way from her head to her side. Legolas spoke quietly to the filly as he put gentle pressure on her back, until eventually he was leaning against her, his feet dangling just above the grass. Still murmuring softly, he slowly slid back down to the ground before, quickly and skillfully, he sprang from the ground and landed softly on the grey filly's back. As the prince sat down on her back, Sirdal snorted softly, but did not move. After but a moment's hesitation, she bent her head around and sniffed at Legolas' boot as if to ask how he had gotten up there.

Alassë was grinning ear to ear, and Legolas looked up and met her gaze from the centre of the ring. He smiled too and Alassë chuckled, now able to relax. It never ceased to amaze her how trusting the horses could be if you only spoke to them and treated them kindly. She had backed a large handful of young horses in her short career, and it still awed her when a horse accepted a rider so quickly.

After a couple of minutes of petting Sirdal's neck, Legolas gently pushed his heels against the filly's sides, asking her for a walk. Sirdal cocked one ear back, not entirely sure what was being asked of her.

"Walk on," he said firmly but gently, applying the aid again. Understanding the words, the filly obliged, taking a few steps forward before stopping. Alassë smiled as she watched the pair learn together. She had not known what to expect from Legolas before they had arrived in the ring, but now it was clear that he had done this before, or had at least watched someone else. Once they had mastered the commands for the walk and the halt, Legolas asked the filly for a trot. Soon, they were travelling around the ring, Sirdal's head stretched out and her back relaxed beneath the light weight of the prince.

The autumn sun was setting behind the trees by the time Legolas steered Sirdal to the middle of the ring and halted her. The pair stood quietly for a moment as Legolas praised the filly, silhouetted against the orange sky. Alassë smiled as she leaned on the rail, watching as the sun slowly shifted and finally set behind the trees, leaving the sky a deep magenta.

"Yes," she whispered to herself as Legolas slid down from Sirdal's back. "I'm glad he chose her."

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_Please excuse that ending! It all sounded brilliant in my head, but I feel like I just made it seem corny haha… Oh well! Again, sorry for the extremely long wait for this chapter, I hope it was worth the wait. I feel like I had something else to add here but I can't seem to remember what that thing was… Oh! I remember. _

_I neglected to mention at the beginning of the story that all of the dialogue is actually in Sindarin. I don't know if that goes without saying but it's only written in English because, well, I don't speak Sindarin and neither do any of you haha. The odd Sindarin phrase is just because it makes it seem more, well, Sindarin._

_Excuse my ramblings… Hope you are having a good week, I will try to update faster this time! Please remember to review :)_

_-Eru_


	14. Chapter 14

_Hello everyone! Again, sorry for the long wait for this chapter… My muse just would not cooperate! I have that you enjoy reading this, and that it is not too slow and boring! I hope to spice up the story a bit in the next few chapters, drop me any ideas in the reviews!_

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**Chapter 14:**

Alassë stirred, blinking her eyes into focus as she sat up on the couch where she had drifted off the night before. Shaking her head, she rubbed her neck where a small kink had formed overnight and sighed, knowing that it would probably linger throughout the day. Turning her head to look out the window behind her, she looked up and saw that the sun was hidden beneath a thick blanket of cloud. Shrugging her shoulders, she stretched quickly before pulling herself up off of the couch and onto her feet. She hoped that she had not slept too long, for she had a busy day planned.

She had fallen asleep in the previous day's tunic and breeches, so she made her way to her bedroom to change into some fresh clothes. Entering her bedroom, she noticed the bow that she had left sitting on her bed and pursed her lips. She wanted to go out and do some more practicing on her own today, but knew that she had more important matters that needed to be taken care of. Pulling a fresh tunic out of her wardrobe, she pulled it on over her head before jumping into a clean pair of breeches. Running her fingers through her hair, she quickly braided it. With one last look at her bow, she left the room and made her way to the kitchen, her stomach rumbling.

As she busied herself preparing lunch, she tried to remember the last meal she had eaten. Yesterday had been spent almost entirely at the stables working with the other young horses, and she had neglected to bring any food with her. Since she was so hungry, and also because she still wasn't entirely sure of how much of her day she had wasted away already, she whipped herself up a quick stew before wolfing down a bowlful at the table. Hastily, she cleaned away the dishes before grabbing her thin cloak and heading out the door.

Autumn was finally coming to a close, she could feel it in the air as she made her way to the stables. The sky was grey and the air heavy, and though it did not bother her, the temperature had dropped significantly over the past few days. Only a few leaves were still clinging to the trees, and the wind blew around those that had collected on the ground. As a strong gust blew from behind her, Alassë pulled up the hood on her cloak to keep her hair from flying in her face.

Soon, she was pulling open the stable doors. As she entered the barn, she was greeted with a chorus of whinnies and snorts.

"I know, I'm sorry that I'm late!" she chuckled as she made her way to the hay at the back of the stables. Most of the whinnies died down as they saw that she was going to give them hay, but some of the younger horses were impatient, banging on their stall doors with their front hooves. Alassë hayed the horses as quickly as she could, tossing it over the walls onto the floor instead of taking the time to place it in the mangers in the stalls. Soon, the stables were quiet as the horses munched contently on their lunch. Pulling a piece of hay from her hair, Alassë made her way back towards her office and sat down on the wooden chair at her desk. Reaching into her desk, she pulled out a piece of parchment that had notes in both her own and Rilien's handwriting scribbled all over it.

"Farrier," she read as she scanned through the tasks that needed to be completed. She would need to head out and talk to the city's blacksmith about having shoes made for all of the horses. Though it had been a quiet summer, the horses had been travelling a fair bit and their current horseshoes were worn around the edges. Skimming the rest of the list, she decided that the other jobs could wait until later, and left her office on her way out to the market.

As she pulled open the stable doors, the cold breeze blew past her, and she felt a snowflake brush her cheek. Raising as hand as the doors closed behind her, she quickly brushed it off as she made a face. In the short time she had spent inside the stables, it had begun to snow. Now, the large, fluffy flakes floated through the air, swirling around her as she stepped out onto the street. As beautiful as the snow was, Alassë did not care much for it. Every year when the snow came, she found herself yearning for warmer days, when everything was green and full of life. The cold snow seemed to suck all of the life out of the forest around her.

It did not take Alassë long to reach the blacksmith's. Several times on her way there she had nearly been run into by excited elflings as they danced around, trying to catch the white flakes on their tongues. Their mothers had apologized, and Alassë could only laugh. She could remember when she had played the game herself, competing against her father, and had smiled sadly at the memory. As she stepped under the roof at the blacksmith's shop, an elf looked up from where had had been working and smiled warmly.

"Mae g'ovannen, (well met) Alassë! How may I be of service?" His golden eyes twinkled as he placed the sword that he was working on back into the forge.

"Gi suilon, (greetings) Faelon," Alassë replied, walking further inside of the shop, where she sat down casually on one of the anvils that he was not using. "I am looking to have new shoes made for the horses," she said as he turned from the forge to look at her. He nodded in response as he pulled the sword from the fire and started working on it again. It did not take him long to complete the finishing touches on the sword, and after a few moments he lowered the glowing red weapon into the basin of water beside the forge. As the steam rose into the chilly air, Faelon removed his gloves and tossed them onto the work table behind him before leaning against it and looking towards Alassë. Though she did not visit him often, Alassë loved to come to the smith shop. Faelon was so different than the other elves that she dealt with daily in that he was so causal, and his clothing was usually covered with some sort of grime. As someone who worked with horses, she could easily relate to his untidy lifestyle.

"How many will need to be shod?" he questioned her.

"Only 76 of them," Alassë replied with a smile, laughing as the smith raised his eyebrows. "We have a lot of horses that are being retired now that winter has come, and many that are not yet old enough to be needing shoes. I could not tell you the exact number of horses that we have at the stables, but my guess is somewhere around 120. At least 15 of them will need to be shod in the spring, as they are still growing," she finished, before laughing at the blacksmith's expression.

"If only 76 were a small number," he laughed. "At least I already have their shoe sizes recorded."

"Yes, that is a good thing," Alassë smiled and nodded in agreement. "When can you have the shoes finished? I have not yet spoken to Maeron about having the horses' hooves done, but as soon as I know when the shoes will be ready, I will be able to ask him." Maeron was the city's farrier, who made sure that the horses all had healthy hooves. Though he was quiet, he was easy to get along with if you could get past his hard shell.

Faelon tilted his head to the side as he went over the numbers in his head. "My guess would be about a week. If you return in a few days and I will be able to give you a more accurate date."

Alassë nodded, turning to look back out into the snow. "I had better be on my way. I have a lot left to accomplish today, and I am already behind," she smiled, wishing that she could stay and talk with the smith longer. Faelon nodded and with a final thanks Alassë turned on her heels and made her way back outside into the snow.

Already a fine dusting of snow covered the ground. The world around her was a sparkling white, transformed into a clean canvas by the tiny ice crystals that dances through the air. Alassë couldn't deny how beautiful it all looked. She made her way back towards the stables, her steps light and she strolled through the market, dodging the other elves who were out and about. As she rounded the last turn, something suddenly felt off. Furrowing her brow, she pressed on, her strides lengthening, wanting to get back as soon as possible. Not more than a moment later, she came to a sudden halt in the middle of the street. Out in front of the stables stood two royal guards.

Knowing full well that they had surely already seen her, she hesitantly carried on, putting on a smile as she neared them, trying to hide her nerves. _What did I do? _She thought to herself as she walked towards them. As the two elves watched Alassë approach, they smiled warmly, offering her some relief, but that did not stop her heart from pounding.

"Le suilon (greetings), lady Alassë. King Thranduil has requested your presence in his Halls." The elf on the left spoke before Alassë could introduce herself. Surprised, she blinked before replying.

"Did he happen to mention the reason for summoning me?" she questioned as they began to make their way towards the Halls.

"I'm sorry, my lady, he did not explain his reasoning," the elf who had not yet spoken replied as they walked. Alassë shuddered slightly as she saw the Halls looming before her, and couldn't help but wonder whether or not Legolas knew of this meeting.

They soon passed through the large gates, the guards nodding in greeting from above as the trio entered the Halls. Biting her lip, Alassë remembered the last time she had walked in through these halls. This time, her giddy excitement had been replaced by fierce anxiety as she hoped that she would find Legolas in the throne room. The two elves led Alassë through the maze of rock, until eventually they came out and onto a bridge of stone which led out across a vast cave. The space was lit with many torches, and many hallways branched out in every direction. At the centre of the space was an elevated platform, intricately carved from the rock, upon which King Thranduil stood, his back turned to the approaching trio.

Alassë breathed deeply as she stepped out onto the bridge, already feeling intimidated simply from her surroundings. She could not understand why any elf would choose to live in these caves, when the forest had been secured for several years. As they crossed the bridge and arrived on the platform, Thranduil turned slowly and met Alassë's gaze, a light smile at his lips. Alassë's heart skipped a beat, her nerves eating at her insides, and she allowed herself a split second to glance around the platform. Much to her dismay, Legolas was nowhere to be found. Turning back to the king, she put on her best smile and curtsied politely.

"Aran nin (my king)," she said as she rose from her curtsy, forcing herself to look him in the eye, still smiling. She would not allow her nerves to show through.

"Good afternoon, Alassë," Thranduil replied, making his way over and stopping in front of her, bowing his head slightly in greeting. "I would like to invite you to take a walk with me. If you can spare the time, of course."

Alassë nodded, surprised at his friendly disposition. Despite all of the things that she should have been doing, she could not turn down such an offer from the king. "Of course, aran nin."

Thranduil's smile widened and he held out his arm for her to take. Hooking her arm through his, Alassë followed the king out of the Halls. They were silent until they arrived outside, where Thranduil dismissed the two elves who had been following him. They strolled through the gardens outside of the Halls, the king seeming to be thinking something over in his mind. After walking through the gardens for a while, Alassë felt her nerves slowly fading away. If Thranduil was angry with her, she doubted that he would be waiting so long to tell her.

"My son is very fond of you," Thranduil spoke suddenly, his rich voice piercing the chilled air. Alassë looked down at the path, not sure of how to respond. After a moment she decided that she needed to say something.

"I did not wish to anger you. I'm sorry, I never intended-,"

"Alassë, I am not angry," Thranduil stopped her before she could continue her apology. Alassë looked up at him as they came to a stop in the middle of the path. Thranduil was still smiling softly, his piercing eyes searching hers. "My wife was of Silvan blood," his voice grew softer and his smiled faded as he spoke the words. Alassë lowered her gaze, not knowing how to respond, or even if she should.

"And I loved her more than I thought possible." He added after a moment, a sad smile gracing his features. He glanced down at Alassë, who felt his gaze and looked up to meet his eyes. "For many years I have attempted to find my son a suitable wife, and every one of those attempts was cast aside. I realise now that I cannot control this aspect of his life," he paused suddenly, his expression thoughtful. "Nor do I wish to deny him the chance to be as happy as I once was."

With these words, Alassë couldn't help but smile shyly, though her nerves refused to leave. The king noted her expression and smiled too, before he arched one eyebrow slightly and spoke again, his eyes stern.

"Though I ask that you do not give my son false hope. It may remain unknown to the realm, but it is easy for me to see your current situation. I do hope that you will make the right choice." As soon as he had spoken, the gentle smile was back on his lips, and Alassë couldn't help but feel a shiver travel down her spine. _Which is the right choice?_ She wanted to ask him, but knew deep down that Thranduil had finished their little chat.

"I thank you for your company, lady Alassë. I must return now, but I pray I shall see you again soon."

"It was an honour, aran nin. Thank you," Alassë replied, removing her arm from his before turning to face him and bowing. With a final nod and a smile, the king turned on his boot heel and strode back down the path towards the Halls. Once his figure had disappeared inside, Alassë let out the breath that she had been holding. Trying not to dwell on his words, she started back towards the Halls herself. If she was going to get anything else accomplished before the day was over, she had better do it right away. As she stepped back into the dimly lit caves, she was greeted by a young elf who had been standing guard just inside.

"King Thranduil instructed that I show you the way out," he spoke quickly, stepping forward to greet her. Alassë shook her head and raised one hand slightly.

"That won't be necessary, thank you," she replied with a small smile, before heading down the hallways that she knew she had come down with the king. She needed to be alone now, and hoped that she would be able to find her way out without having to ask for directions. She was fairly confident that she would make it out without any problems, after all, she had grown up in this maze of tunnels.

Thankfully, she was able to retrace her steps all the back to an area that she had recalled passing by with Thranduil. There, she paused for a moment, attempting to decide if she recalled the location correctly.

"I believe these used to be the living quarters," she whispered to herself as she peered down a hall that was unlit. The torches that clung to the stone walls seemed to have not been lit for a long while. Shrugging her shoulders, she decided to go with her guess and carried on, confident that she now knew where she was.

Suddenly, she felt a firm hand on her shoulder and was pulled backwards gently into one of the many rooms that she had been walking past. Gasping, she turned around quickly and came face to face with Legolas.

"What did he say to you? Are you all right?" he spoke rapidly, searching her eyes for any signs of what his father had said to her. Alassë narrowed her eyes.

"Legolas! You can't just grab me like that! Do you know how badly you startled me?" she retorted, ignoring his questions.

"What did he want from you?" Legolas implored, earning him a hard look from Alassë. "I'm sorry for startling you, but I need to know that you are okay," he relaxed slightly as Alassë laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine, Legolas."

The prince, cocked his head slightly, raising an eyebrow, unconvinced. Alassë sighed and looked around, taking in her surroundings for the first time and noticing the bed, bookshelves, and desk.

"Where are we, Legolas?" she questioned him this time. Legolas sighed, realising that he wasn't going to get any answers until all of her questions had been acknowledged.

"My quarters," he replied, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, feeling slightly uncomfortable that she had brought it up. "Please excuse the mess."

Alassë felt her cheeks instantly turn hot with embarrassment and she dropped her gaze to the floor. The prince instantly picked up on her discomfort and gave a light chuckle.

"Relax, Alassë. No one else knows you're in here."

The pair stood in awkward silence for a brief moment, before Legolas decided to push his questions yet again.

"Will you tell me what my father wanted to speak to you about?" His blue eyes searched her grey ones as Alassë sighed, deciding that there were worse things than being caught chatting in his bedroom.

"He… He told me that he hopes I make the right decision, and that your mother was a Silvan elf, and that he didn't want to deny you the chance to, uh, find love," she finished, slightly uncomfortable discussing the sensitive subject of their relationship. Legolas considered her words for a brief moment.

"So, what you're saying is that he gave us permission to court?" he asked, his eyes failing to hide the excitement that he clearly felt. He had not expected his father to be so forward with Alassë, at least not in a positive way.

"I… Think so. He did not say exactly what the right decision was. He was very kind to me," she nodded, deciding not to mention what Thranduil had said in regards to her own feelings for the prince. She was not ready to make a choice yet, and hoped that once this mess was cleaned up, she would start feeling that giddy excitement again for Legolas. The prince smiled, satisfied with the answers she had given him.

"Come, I will show you the way out from here," he chuckled lightly and took her hand in his own. Alassë put on a smile and took his hand as he led her back out into the dim hallway. Now that she was almost certain that she was able to court the prince, she hoped that she would be able to let herself fall in love all over again. Glancing up at Legolas as they walked, her heart clenched, hoping that she would not hurt him.

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_Phew! Finally finished. This chapter was challenging for me to write for some reason… I worked on it once a day for what seems like forever, and could never get much accomplished before I ran out of muse. But it's done now! I hope that you all enjoy this chapter… What's going to happen with Alassë? I hope she can push aside her doubt!_

_Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review the story, especially if you haven't already! Special thanks to those readers who almost always write me a review after every chapter! You guys are what motivate me to update as quickly as I possibly can! I always appreciate any ideas or suggestions, I have already incorporated several of them into the story!_

_Also, I have been having many plot bunnies hopping around in my head, whispering evil things in my ears… I will be starting another story at some point in the future, which will be completely unrelated to this one, but will be a Legolas x OC fic… I don't know if I will publish it, and will be doing it purely for fun &amp; to get the evil bunnies to stop interrupting my work on this story. It will be the cliché girl-falls-into-middle-earth plot, so as I said, nothing original but maybe someone will still be interested. Anyways, just wanted to let you guys know why I have been so slow updating this story…_

_I will get started on the next chapter right away!_

_-Eru_


	15. Chapter 15

_Hey guys! I would just like to apologize for the wait, and also apologize in advance if this chapter is kind of awful… I've really been struggling to write this story over the past couple of weeks, but I promise you that it is always on my mind! Nevertheless, I hope that you enjoy the chapter, hopefully it's not too awful!_

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**Chapter 15:**

Alassë laughed as she sat atop a bay colt, watching Legolas and Sirdal attempt to learn how to do a vault at the canter. Every time Legolas called the filly, she would come running towards him as asked, but as soon as the prince tried to jump onto her back, she would slide to a stop and he would go tumbling over top of her head. Legolas had just received a fresh face and muddy snow, and was picking himself up as Sirdal watched, confused as to how he had wound up on the ground. Though Legolas appeared ever calm and collected on the outside, Alassë could tell that he was becoming very frustrated.

"Legolas! Take a break, I'm going to practice with Rosroch," she said as she swung her leg over the young stallion's back and landed lightly in the snow. It was a fine winter's day, and the clouds had parted long enough for them to get in some much needed training time with the younger horses.

"Stay, Ros," she looked the young horse in the eye as she backed away from him. The colt snorted and tossed his head, eagerly anticipating her instructions to run. The colt was proving to be one of the more difficult horses to train. He had a knack for being pushy, and a short attention span. Alassë had been trying her best to get outside and work with him every day, but so far the winter was proving too harsh for riding on most days.

As Alassë reached the far end of the arena, she held the young stallion's gaze and he bobbed his head, pawing the ground with one of his front hooves. Taking a deep breath, Alassë gave a long low whistle and Rosroch threw himself into a gallop with a buck, heading in her direction. Time seemed to slow as she counted the strides, estimating when he would be next to her.

"Three, two, one!" she counted out loud, before launching herself into the air, one hand on the horse's withers and another wrapped part ways around his neck, landing on his back lightly. Surprised by the sudden motion, Rosroch snorted and reached his head down to the ground. Though Alassë knew what was about to happen, she had no time to grab the colt's mane before he was kicking up his heels in a huge buck. She was on the ground in an instant, earning herself her very own mouthful of dirt and snow. As the colt galloped away, Alassë picked herself up from the ground and brushed herself off, rolling her eyes as she heard Legolas' laugh.

"I suppose I deserved that, after laughing at you!" she said, turning to face him. Ros had trotted over to Sirdal and was nuzzling her. Sirdal pinned her ears and snorted, and Alassë raised a hand to her mouth and whistled for the colt to return to her side. Reluctant to leave the filly, Ros turned to face Alassë before picking up a trot and making his way over to her.

"It was quite graceful," the prince replied, stifling his laughter. "Are you all right?" he asked, genuinely concerned, though you would have never been able to tell as he was still laughing.

"Yes, I'm fine," Alassë replied, reaching up to grab Ros' halter as he came to a halt at her side. "Though I imagine I will be quite sore tomorrow. I haven't taken a tumble like that in a long while," she chuckled slightly, stretching her neck.

"I for one cannot remember ever seeing you fall off," Legolas commented, making his way over with Sirdal.

"Well, I do, quite often actually. Younger horses love to have their fun when being trained. But normally my falls aren't so, graceful, as you put it," she laughed, shaking as much sand as she could from her breeches. She wouldn't describe any of her tumbles as "graceful", rather, she often spent less time in the air before hitting the ground. It wasn't often a horse sent her sailing through the air. Most of the falls she had taken had been from the younger horses spooking at something, or from being knocked off balance by an odd step on a distracted horse. Thankfully though, she did not come off too often. Most of the time a few calming words were all she needed to get a horse to behave. But Ros was already proving to challenge every rule Alassë had learned.

"Are you going to try again?" Alassë asked Legolas as he halted Sirdal next to where she was standing. The prince shook his head.

"I've had enough dirt in my mouth for one day, and enough sand in my clothes to create another riding area…" he chuckled, dismounting from the grey filly. Sirdal snorted and bobbed her head, pleased that she was done working for the day. Alassë found herself nodding in agreement.

"Me neither. I'm already feeling that fall," she winced as she rolled her shoulders, trying to loosen up the muscles that were already stiffening up from the combination of the cold and the hard fall.

The pair made their way out of the ring and back towards the stables, where they led the two horses into their stalls and gave them a thorough grooming. Once the horses were cleaned and had been covered with their stable blankets, Alassë double checked to make sure that the rest of the horses had enough hay and water for the evening, and then they headed back outside.

The evening had turned out to be a beautiful one, and a welcome break from the onslaught of snow that they had been receiving for the past few weeks. The sky had cleared right up, to the point that only a few thin wisps of cloud drifted overhead. The sun was setting, leaving the sky a bright magenta hue. Alassë sighed.

"Perhaps I would find winter more enjoyable if every night was like tonight!" she said as she gestured up to the sky. Legolas nodded.

"And if there was less snow," he laughed as he kicked his boot at a pile on the side of the street. Despite the fact that the elves had no trouble maneuvering about the snow, the streets needed to be cleared to make the passage of wagons and horses possible. Alassë couldn't remember the last winter that it had snowed so much. There must have been at least a metre of the stuff covering the ground off of the street.

"I don't suppose you've heard the news," Legolas changed the topic of conversation after a brief moment. "Since you never dine at the dinner hall" he added with a chuckle. Alassë gave him a sideways glance as they walked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"What news?"

"I will be travelling to Minas Tirith," Legolas replied, casting her a smile, his eyes twinkling in excitement. Alassë's other eyebrow joined the previously raised one as her stomach dropped slightly at the mention of him leaving.

"When will you leave, and will you be gone long?" she inquired, not understanding how this was good news for her.

"I will not be leaving for a while yet, Sirdal needs a bit more work before she will be able to travel the distance," he replied, his expression seeming to hide something. "I will be staying there for a couple of weeks, at least. I have not seen my friend Aragorn in a long while, and he is quite busy as one would assume, being the King of Gondor, so he has not been able to make the trip himself. As soon as the warmer weather comes around, I will be leaving."

Alassë turned her gaze to the ground at the mention of Sirdal. Though she had watched the filly grow into a strong young mare over the course of the past few months, it was still a strange idea to her that she would ever leave the safety of Eryn Lasgalen. And though she knew that the prince himself was well travelled, she couldn't help but feel worried about him leaving the city either.

"And, if you would like," Legolas continued suddenly, his eyes twinkling, "I would love it if you would accompany me." Alassë stopped in her tracks and looked up at the prince in disbelief.

"Surely you are only kidding," she laughed. "I have never travelled beyond the city. Well, the one time I did, I nearly got myself killed," she added sheepishly. Legolas stopped as well and turned towards her.

"I was not kidding," Legolas replied, pretending to be hurt. "I am sincere in my request for your company." He stared at her, his eyes begging. Alassë rolled her eyes and the prince kept talking.

"You are an excellent rider, and if you keep practicing with your bow, you will be able to hit anything, should the need arise." At his last words, Alassë felt her legs turn to jelly and her eyes widened. Though the war had long since been won, she knew that there were still many evils that existed in the world, and the thought of encountering any number of them during her travels unnerved her.

"I highly doubt that the need should arise," Legolas added quickly, seeing the look of fear in her eyes. He took her hands in his own, holding them tightly. "I will be bringing many other elves with me. They will keep you safe. Please?" he said, putting on the best puppy dog eyes he could muster. The sight alone was enough to break Alassë's nerves and she laughed at his antics.

"All right, all right." She laughed, although she was still skeptical about the idea of leaving Eryn Lasgalen. Legolas let go of her hands and smiled, reminding Alassë of an elfling as he did a very un-princelike little dance on the snowy street.

* * *

"Okay, Ros."

The bay stallion stood with his ears pricked at the far end of the ring, watching Alassë attentively. Taking a deep breath, she whistled to the stallion, who tossed his head and immediately threw himself into a gallop in her direction.

"Whoa," she said as he neared her, willing the frisky stallion to calm down just a bit. His black legs slowed slightly and Alassë counted his strides as he neared her. As he took his last stride before he passed beside her, she sprang out of the sand and grabbed the stallion's mane, making sure that she wouldn't be thrown off if he decided to try his usual antics. Landing gently on his back, her free hand swiftly landed on the horse's neck, hoping he would stay calm. Snorting, Rosroch turned as he reached the end of the ring, but did not buck.

"Good boy!" Alassë praised as the stallion cantered off in the other direction, patting his red neck with sweeping strokes. Leaning back, she asked the stallion to slow and he obliged, before she hopped off and produced a chunk of apple from her tunic pocket. Offering it to Ros, she wiped her sticky hand off on her breeches and scratched his forehead, pleased with the stallion.

"I think that's enough work for today," she said as the horse finished munching on his treat, his lips covered with a sticky white foam. With a chuckle, she turned and made her way back towards the stables, Ros following close behind. Before she entered the barn, she glanced up at the sun quickly, noting that she had been training with Ros for over an hour. She had not seen Legolas since the day before, when he had been by to take Sirdal out for a ride in the woods. Shrugging, she supposed that he would be by later, if he wasn't too busy with other affairs.

Ros followed Alassë into his stall, where he immediately stuck his nose into his bucket of water and began to drink, noisily sloshing the water around with his lips. Smiling, Alassë picked up a cloth and began to go over his sweaty coat with long, sweeping strokes. Though the weather had not been so cold as it had been earlier in the winter, she didn't want to stallion to be wet. Soon, Ros' red coat was dry, and Alassë picked up a brush and proceeded to brush off all of the now dried sweat that clung to it. Sighing contentedly, the stallion lowered his head and his eyelids drooped.

"You silly horse, you didn't work that hard today," Alassë laughed and the stallion slowly turned one of his ears in her direction. Tossing the brush back outside onto a pile of hay, she covered the stallion in his rug, before giving him one last pat and closing his stall door. Picking up the brush and the cloth, Alassë made her way down the aisle, checking in on the other horses to make sure that they didn't need any fresh hay or water. When she arrived at the end of the aisle, she reached into Sirdal's stall and let the young mare sniff her hand. The grey filly nickered softly and lipped at the palm of Alassë's hand, hoping for treats. With a light laugh, she pulled one of the apple chunks from her pocket and offered it to the mare, who ate it up eagerly.

After setting the grooming equipment back on the shelf beside the doors, Alassë paid and quick visit to Tálagor, who was having a nap, his tail flicking rhythmically back and forth as he dreamed. Once she had done a quick tidy up of the aisle with a broom, she pulled up her hood and headed back outside. It had begun to snow, and the tiny ice crystals danced around her, gleaming in the light that broke through the clouds to the west. Pursing her lips, she thought about heading back to her home to get some dinner ready, but quickly remembered that she hadn't been able to get to the marker yet to purchase any cooking supplies. With a sigh, she turned around and headed back the way she had come, making her way to the dining hall. Though she hated going there to eat, she supposed she might find Legolas there, or at least Anira and Araniel, who she hadn't seen in quite a while.

Though it was still fairly early in the evening, the dining hall was already starting to fill up. Elves were sitting in groups, families and friends chatting around the tables as they ate or waited for their food to be brought to them. Scanning the large room, Alassë quickly found her cousin, who was sitting with a small group of her own friends. Wishing she had bothered to introduce herself years ago, she decided that sitting with them would be better than eating alone, so she started off towards the table.

"Cousin! What brings you here?" Anira quickly spotted her and stood up, her brown hair falling over her shoulders.

"Oh, you know, I'm hungry," she shrugged as Anira pulled up a chair and ushered Alassë to sit down. "And I was hoping to find you here," she added with a grin. Anira smiled wide, happy that she was part of the reason her cousin had decided to come.

As her cousin recommenced her conversation with the rest of the female elves at the table, Alassë kept quiet, not interested in their gossip, but mostly not wanting to be questioned herself. She found herself scanning the room, hoping to see the prince amongst the growing number of elves who were arriving to eat. As she was about to give up her search, she spotted him as he made his way up the steps to sit beside his father, who had only just arrived. A small smile crept onto her lips and she hoped he would find her gaze.

"Alassë! You are so lucky," her attention was brought back to the elves around her and she blinked before blushing slightly. They had seen her watching Legolas.

"Tell me, what was it like being up there, eating with them?" a blonde elf across from Alassë piped up, her green eyes brimming with curiosity. Alassë resisted the urge to roll her eyes as the group around the table waited in anticipation for her answer.

"It was… nerve-wracking at first, sitting up there in front of everyone," she started, twiddling her thumbs, trying to piece together what she was going to tell them in her mind. She wasn't going to tell them that she wasn't courting the prince, she hadn't even told her cousin that yet.

"But ernil Legolas and aran Thranduil are easy to get along with," she added with a small smile, hoping that she would be able to make them believe that everything had gone just spectacularly that night. "There really isn't much to tell, you saw it all. We danced, we ate, and we talked. It was lovely, and an honour to be the prince's guest," she finished, trying to push the memories of the rest of the night out of her mind. The elves around her stared at her wistfully, each seeming to imagine themselves in her position. _If only you knew what it was actually like between us right now,_ she thought with a silent sigh.

A light tap on her shoulder made Alassë jump, and she turned around to see Legolas, who was looking down at her.

"Fancy meeting you here," he said with a grin. Alassë rolled her eyes and gave him a light slap across his arm as the other elves at the table sat up straight and smiled politely at the prince.

"And what might you be doing down here with us peasants?" Alassë laughed, her mouth widening into a grin as she turned back around to face her cousin and her friends, who all chuckled. Legolas shook his head, letting Alassë enjoy her joke.

"It's not often you come here to eat."

"Yeah, I actually forgot to get food this morning," Alassë replied, pulling out the chair beside her and offering it to her friend, who shook his head.

"Actually I came to ask if you wanted to sit up with me and my father," Legolas smiled after politely refusing the seat she had offered him. Alassë felt her stomach tighten at the thought of sitting at the front of the hall again, but pushed it away. Supper on an average day was certainly no feast, and despite the less than ideal ending to her night, her anxiety from sitting in front of so many elves had not been the reason the feast had ended on a bad note.

"I would be honoured," Alassë pushed out her chair and stood as Legolas offered her his hand. She placed her palm on top of his and stood, catching her breath as a shiver ran up her spine at his touch. Though she had been spending hours a day with the prince at the barn, she couldn't remember the last time she had held his hand. With one last smile towards the table, she let Legolas lead her up towards the front of the room where Thranduil sat.

"Good evening, Alassë," the king welcomed her to the table, looking up from a paper that he had been reading over and offering her a smile. She returned the gesture and sat down in the chair that Legolas pulled out for her.

"Good evening, aran nin," she replied as Legolas sat down between them. A trio of elves soon arrived carrying plates of salad and meats. Alassë smiled and thanked the servant as her plate was set before her, waiting until the King had started to eat before she dove into her own food. The food alone was definitely worth the trip to the dining hall, since Alassë never would have been able to whip herself up anything remotely filling at home.

"Legolas tells me that you will be accompanying him to Minas Tirith," Thranduil said, putting down his paper and glancing over at her with a smile. The slice of venison caught in Alassë's throat at the mention of the trip. Coughing once with her hand over her mouth, she looked over at the king and smiled once she had cleared her throat.

"He invited me just last week, actually," she replied, not sure what else to say about it. "I've never been outside of Eryn Lasgalen, so I'm very excited to go." The King nodded and began to eat his own supper.

"You're in for a wonderful treat," Legolas joined the conversation. "There are many things out there that cannot be found in this forest," he looked over at her and smiled, his excitement shining in his eyes. Alassë smiled back, but couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear at his words. There were definitely many things out there that she wouldn't be able to find in Eryn Lasgalen, and she hoped they wouldn't come across anything that she didn't want to find.

* * *

_There you have it… I can't tell you all how long this took me to finish (well, I guess you guys would know, considering the fact that you've kind of been waiting for it haha…)! It's still way shorter than I would have liked, but oh well. Please remember to review and let me know how you are liking the story so far! Hopefully the next chapter will be better, and a bit longer!_

_-Eru_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

The next morning, Alassë was up early to do chores at the stables. Now that the cold had finally decided to break, the horses were turned out during the day and brought back in again at night. Though this meant more work for Alassë and Rilien, it was worth it as they watched the horses playing in the snow, enjoying being back outside for the first time in months. The pair made light work of cleaning the stables, sharing in a few laughs as they picked out the stalls. With the warmer weather just around the corner, the spirits of the elves had risen, and Alassë was feeling lighthearted as she threw the last armful of hay into the stall. Clasping her hands together, she turned around and surveyed the barn as Rilien finished tossing his own armful of hay into the last stall in the aisle.

"All finished," he said, turning to face her with a bright smile on his lips.

"And it is not even midday yet," Alassë grinned back. With their heightened moods came a heightened work ethic, and the two had worked particularly quickly. "I will be back this evening to bring all of the horses in," she added after a moment.

"All right, I will see you later, Alassë," Rilien waved as she turned and pushed open the stable doors and left.

The sun was up and shining, working hard as it began to melt the large piles of snow that had accumulated over the months along the sides of the street. Humming softly, Alassë made her way down across the cobblestones, weaving in between other passing elves as she approached the market. She had a few things that she needed to pick up, and figured that she might as well take care of it now while she was out instead of having to make a special trip out later.

The market was fairly busy, filled with many elves who were out and about enjoying the change in the weather. Young elflings played along the side of the road, while the older elves chatted away with vendors and friends. Alassë ran over the list in her head as she walked down between the rows of stands, before spotting the bakery and heading over to wait behind the small crowd that had gathered there.

Oddly enough, though she was not one for crowded places, she enjoyed the market. Maybe it was the fact that it was outside, or simply the fact that she didn't have to worry about being the centre of attention, but she did not feel uncomfortable amongst the crowds here. But it was while she pondered this fact that the sound of ellith's gossipy voices reached her ears. Frowning, she tried not to eavesdrop, but they had a certain tone of voice that made it hard to ignore them.

"There she is," one of the spoke up above the hum of the market. Alassë closed her eyes in annoyance. She hated it when the ellith talked about other elves behind their backs.

"I've often wondered why she dresses like that, in ellyn's clothes." Another one added. At these words, Alassë felt herself tense up. They were talking about her.

"She works in the stables," a third voice piped up, revoltingly sweet. "At least, that's what I've gathered."

"She must be poor," the first elleth chimed in again, and Alassë could practically hear the distaste on her words.

"She surely is."

"I cannot for the life of me understand what ernil Legolas sees in her, she must stink of horse refuse."

At these words, Alassë felt the blood rise up into her cheeks. Bowing her head away from their direction, she tried her best not to let on that she had heard their cruel words. Inside, she could feel her anger rising, but she held it down, knowing that nothing she could say or do would change their opinions of her. For a moment, she allowed herself to believe that the group had moved on to another topic, but hope deceived her, as not a moment later, they were chatting about her yet again.

"I have noticed that she never attends meals with him. In fact, I hardly ever see them in each other's company at all," the elleth with the painfully sweet voice stirred the conversation back up again, and Alassë felt her cheeks burning as she sensed that they were staring at her.

"That's not entirely true, she did attend dinner last night. She sat up with ernil Legolas and aran Thranduil. She was invited up," a slightly quieter voice commented, however her tone was icy with jealousy.

"Yes, that it true, I was there. However, you don't think it is a little odd that she never seems to be around at the feasts and balls? She herself seems quite… Reclusive."

There was a thoughtful silence shared between the three ellith, and Alassë stared impatiently at the back of the elf in front of her. _What is taking so long? _She just wanted to purchase her bread and escape.

"Perhaps he is doing it as a favour, an act, so to speak, to make her feel important?"

"Oh yes, that is quite obviously what is happening. Surely she does not honestly believe that aran Thranduil would allow his son to marry a common elleth such as herself."

"A peasant."

At this Alassë's temper boiled over. She didn't need bread that badly anyways. Ducking her head to hide the tears that were building at the corners of her eyes, she dropped out of the crowd in front of the bakery and stalked off. As she left, she heard the ellith giggling as they watched her leave.

"He's doing her a favour, really. She should be grateful."

That was the last thing that she heard as she disappeared into the crowd, quickly brushing past the elves as she desperately tried to escape the crowds. Breaking into a run as she left the busy market behind, she dashed into the woods, seeking solitude and something to take her mind off of the ellith's harsh words.

Before she knew it, she had found herself in the archery clearing, and was retrieving her bow and quiver from their hiding spot. Hastily, she marched to the centre of the clearing and drew an arrow from her quiver, aiming shakily at the target. Letting the arrow fly, it whizzed past the target and into the woods. Drawing an unsteady breath, she whipped off another few shots as she fought back the sobs. How dare they say those things? Who were they to judge her so openly, knowing full well that she could hear them. Not one arrow hit the target, and finally Alassë broke down as she let the last of her arrows fly before dropping the bow into the soft snow and covering her face with her hands. She wished that she had something to rip apart, she wished that she could punch something, but there was nothing around other than the trees, which should have comforted her. But instead of feeling welcome in the forest like she normally did, it only made her realise just how alone she was.

Sinking slowly down to the ground, Alassë kneeled in the snow, not caring that she was getting wet. Lifting her gaze to the sky, she stared up as the clouds passed over her head, tears freezing as they glided down her pale cheeks.

"Guren nalla achen, nana a ada," she sobbed quietly, her voice barely audible above the whisper of the trees. Why did they have to leave her? Why did she have to be so alone? As she sat in the snow crying, she almost wished that she had died too. She missed her parents so much. "I would do anything to see you again," she squeaked out between her tears. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not hear the quiet footsteps. A gentle hand was soon resting on her shoulder, and Alassë looked through her tears as Legolas knelt down beside her in the snow.

"Mellon nîn, what is the matter?" he spoke to her gently as she caught his gaze. Unable to form words, Alassë simply let fresh wave of tears spill down her cheeks. Content to wait until she had calmed down, the prince wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close, holding her as she sobbed into his chest. They stayed like that for quite some time, paying no heed to the cold snow biting their knees, until finally Alassë's sobs steadied. Pulling back from the prince, she looked away, slightly embarrassed that she had been caught in such a state. Reaching up to wipe her tears, Legolas beat her to it, using his thumb to gently brush them away as his eyes searched hers.

"I… I…" Alassë choked out as she stared at him, her eyes stinging from crying so much. Giving her shoulder a squeeze, Legolas quieted her, urging her to stay calm. Alassë's mind felt heavy, filled with too many things. Why was she so upset? Thinking about the nasty ellith at the market, she shuddered slightly. Was it their words that had hurt her so much? Or the fact that they were so openly discussing her personal matters with Legolas? Wincing, she thought about their words. _"Perhaps he is doing it as a favour, an act, so to speak, to make her feel important?" _Did she believe them? It was hard to say. Though deep down Alassë knew that Legolas would not lead her on like that, she couldn't help but feel like she was undeserving of his affections. A peasant, they had called her. Really, what was she if not that? She worked for her food, whereas they were probably born to a life of riches and popularity. Honestly, Alassë wouldn't change this aspect of her life even if she could. She loved her job, but their words still stung. Legolas waited patiently for Alassë to figure her feelings out, watching her expression carefully. When she did finally speak up, it was barely more than a whisper.

"I am simply missing my parents," she lied, unable to tell him the reason for her tears. Though she avoided his gaze as she said this, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that his frown had deepened.

"Alassë, I understand if you do not want to tell me what has happened, but I do believe that it would help to talk about it," he replied after a moment of silence.

Alassë slowly lifted her gaze to look at the prince through her eyelashes, debating whether or not she wanted to tell him everything. She did, she really did, but for some reason she was afraid that they had been telling the truth, that he was only doing it out of pity. Taking a deep breath, she decided that if that was the case, she might as well figure out now rather than later.

"There were some ellith down at the market, and they said that… They said…" she trailed off. Legolas' gaze never left her eyes, and she gathered up her courage and spat it out. "They said that you were courting me out of pity." At this, Legolas narrowed his eyes, confused. "They said that I am a peasant because I must work, and that your father would never let you marry a common elleth, and therefore you must only be pretending to court me." Alassë dropped her gaze.

There was a long silence between them, and as the seconds ticked on Alassë become more and more sure that they had been right. Unable to stand the silence, she shifted her gaze back up to find that Legolas had an expression that she had never seen on his face before. He looked angrier than Alassë could have ever imagined. And that frightened her. Lifting a hand to his brow, Legolas closed his eyes tightly. The tips of his ears had gone red and his brow was furrowed deeply.

"Legolas?" she questioned timidly. At her voice, his eyes snapped open and he looked over at her.

"Alassë, please tell me that you do not believe these words?" he said, an edge of desperation in his voice. Alassë knew then beyond any doubt that he had never lied to her, not once. His feelings were genuine. Unable to formulate an answer, she simply closed her eyes and leaned into his chest, clinging to him tightly like she would to her dad as a child, and began to cry again. This time, though, they were tears of joy. Breathing in his scent, she felt her troubles washing away and relaxed against him as his arms wrapped tightly around her body.

They stayed like that for several long moments, embracing as they sat in the snow. Finally, Legolas broke the embrace and offered Alassë his hand as he stood up. Accepting it, Alassë rose to join the prince and laughed as she wiped away her tears, her cheeks rosy pink from all of the crying. They were both covered in snow, most of it melted, and her breeches were thoroughly soaked. Brushing what was left of the snow from herself, she sniffled and cracked a smile.

"Thank you, Legolas," she said, feeling grateful that he had shown up. The prince smiled and nodded I return, before turning his gaze towards the bow that rested a couple of feet from where they stood. Raising an eyebrow, he looked towards the target at the far end of the meadow and Alassë smiled sheepishly.

"It is going to be quite an ordeal finding those arrows," he chuckled as he picked up the bow from the snow. Alassë took it from his outstretched hand and slung it across her shoulder, before following him across the clearing to seek out the missing arrows. As she walked behind him across the snow, she smiled softly, and her heart soared as she felt the warmth of love creep back into her soul. She found herself hoping that she would find it in her heart to love him again.

* * *

_First off, I'm really sorry for how long this took to publish! And secondly, I apologize for the shorter length of this chapter, but I felt that this was a good place to end it. I hope that you enjoyed it nonetheless! Please remember to review and let me know what you thought of the chapter, your reviews are what keep me motivated to write, even when I have a prolonged case of writer's block! Thanks to everyone who has already left reviews, especially those who leave reviews frequently! You are my lifeline!_

_Sindarin Translations:_

_Guren nalla achen, nana a ada - "My heart weeps for you" (I miss you), mom and dad_

_-Eru_


	17. Chapter 17

_Guys! Honestly I have the greatest readers! I would like to thank you all for being so patient with me, I've started back up with University, and while I've been meaning to update this story for weeks, I've been so busy with moving in and my other story that this kind of fell to the back burner. I can't guarantee that I will be updating this very frequently, but I promise that this will never be abandoned. And never fear! I'm back with this new chapter! I hope that you all enjoy it and that I don't lose any of you lovely readers, despite the long wait!_

* * *

**Chapter 17:**

The stables were a hive of activity as Alassë bustled about, finding tack for different horses. Fetching the saddle for her own horse from its spot on the tack room wall, she hurried back out into the stable, weaving her way quickly through the elves who were gathered in the aisle.

Today was the day they would depart for Minas Tirith, and as Alassë scrambled to tack up the young stallion that she had chosen for the journey, she did her best to keep her unease hidden. Despite the weather having warmed up over the past couple of weeks, there was still a bountiful amount of snow piled on the ground, and every so often the wind would bare its icy fangs. None of that bothered her so much. For her, it was simply the fact that, for the first time in her life, she would be voluntarily leaving the safety of her home behind her and stepping out into the wilderness.

Rosroch snorted as she tightened the cinch around his girth and turned around the nudge her gently. Laughing despite her nerves, Alassë turned to the bay stallion and laid her hand on his cheek, looking at him intently. The young stallion had improved in leaps and bounds over the winter, and despite his young age and limited experience, Alassë had found no better candidate for the long trek to the White City than him. Removing her hand from his face and sighing, she leaned out from the stall and looked down the aisle for any sign of Legolas. She spotted him quickly as he left Sirdal's stall to fetch her bridle from the tack room. He flashed her a toothy grin before disappearing into the mass of bodies in the aisle.

It had been a long time since the stables had been this busy. Alassë couldn't remember trying to work around this many people since the forest had been attacked during the War of the Ring. The Battle Under the Trees had thankfully taken place far from the city's borders. It hadn't been so long ago, and yet it felt like it had been decades since the War. And now, she was reminded of those attacks as she stood in the stables and watched the elves run about, preparing their horses and double-checking their supplies.

_The snorting of horses and yelling voices of the elves filled Alassë's ears. She had not yet been working in the stables for a year and already she was seeing the prime example of why they needed to be kept in pristine condition. Despite the immaculately organized area, the soldiers were still scrambling to prepare themselves to ride to battle. Thankfully, however, decades of training had prepared them for this moment, and the chaos of the process was at least an orderly chaos._

_She stood in the corner, watching curiously as the horses were tacked up and led outside at a trot, one by one, until the few remaining men had trailed behind and left the stables empty. Following the party outside into the courtyard, Alassë watched in awe as they all mounted up in unison before setting off across the bridge towards the front gates. She watched until she could no longer hear the sound of hoof beats or see the glimmer of the evening sun on their armour. That was when the fear hit her, as the distant smell of smoke met her nose. Though she could not see it from where she stood, she knew then that the forest was on fire._

_Turning on her heels, she ran as fast as he feet could carry her across the grass to the base of the mountain. Though she knew that she was in no immediate danger where she had been stationed in the stables, she now felt extremely vulnerable outside of the Great Halls. She soon reached the doors and was let inside by the two elves standing guard. Quickly, she weaved her way through the corridors and up a few flights of stairs, until she reached her lodgings. Closing herself inside, she sank down to the floor and held her head in her hands. Now that she was safe and sound, her thoughts turned to the soldiers who were now heading into battle. Risking their lives for this city that was so dear to her, to so many others. _

"_Those horses," she sobbed into her hands, the tears streaming down her cheeks. How many of them would return? How many would she never see again? Her thoughts turned also to the soldiers. How many of _them _would return? While she was in her home, out of harm's reach, they were fighting for their very lives._

"Alassë? Are you all right, mellon nin?"

She was snapped from her memories as the sound of Legolas' voice interrupted her thoughts. Shaking off her fears, she put on a smile and turned to the prince, who stood leaning beside her on the other side of the stall door.

"Oh, yes, I am fine, Legolas. Merely thinking of the past," she replied, not quite wanting to tell him exactly what she had been thinking about. He hadn't been here for the attack, she reminded herself. He had been fighting elsewhere. Legolas nodded thoughtfully, before straightening.

"It is almost time to depart. Are you ready?"

Alassë nodded hesitantly, smiling nervously. She was reluctant to admit it, but she was feeling excited for the journey, though her anticipation at heading out on her own adventure was shadowed by her fear of the unknown. It was not hard for Legolas to pick up on her uneasiness. He laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.

"You need not worry, Alassë."

"I cannot help it," she replied, laughing nervously. Legolas smiled but Alassë could tell that he could come up with no further comforting words.

"We ride in ten minutes," Legolas said after a short time. Removing his hand from her shoulder, he turned with an excited smile and made his way back towards Sirdal's stall to bridle her.

Despite not wanting to drag the company down by being the last to finish preparations for their departure, Alassë had one last thing to do before bridling Ros. Quickly leaving Ros' stall, she rushed down to the far end of the stables and opened a stall door.

Tálagor nickered gently as she entered his stall, his snow white ears flicking lazily in her direction. The old stallion had had a quiet winter, enjoying the comforts of his warm, dry stall and growing rather fat on the endless supply of hay that Alassë had spoiled him with. Even now, he was finishing up a mouthful of hay as he made his way across the straw to push his nose against her chest. Laughing quietly, Alassë gave him a kiss on his forehead before combing through his forelock with her fingers and arranging it neatly.

"I am going to miss you very much, old boy," she said softly as she leaned into her forehead, his thick coat tickling her lips. Tears welled in her eyes but she held them back, not wanting the stallion to catch on to her sadness. Though she dared not speak the words, she had but one thought on her mind in that moment. _Please be here for me when I return._

She knew in her heart that the journey would not be a quick one. Minas Tirith was many miles away, and even on the backs of the finest elvish horses, it would be at least a two-week journey by her most optimistic guess. Legolas had told her that he would be staying for two weeks. Including the return journey, they were already looking at well over a month away from Eryn Lasgalen. Tálagor was not young, she could no longer deny that fact, no matter how much she wished for it to not be true.

As if he could read her thoughts, Tálagor nuzzled against her, blowing softly through his nose. Unable to be sad while the stallion comforted her, Alassë found herself chuckling as she blinked the tears away. Straightening up, she gazed at the stallion lovingly, a sad smile gracing her features.

"I love you, Tálagor," she whispered as she gave his cheek a final pat. Her heart ached to stay with the stallion, if even just for a short moment longer, but she knew that she had already spent far too much time with him and that she had probably fallen behind. Exiting the stall after planting a strong kiss on his nose, Alassë waved goodbye to the grey stallion and turned away before the tears could escape.

Back in Ros' stall, she quickly removed the bridle from over her shoulder and coaxed the bit into the bay's mouth before slipping the crownpiece over his ears. Sensing her uneasiness, Ros snorted and gave Alassë a nudge, nearly knocking her over. Quickly, she scolded him before double-checking that all of her packs were securely attached to the saddle.

She had spent many days running around to acquire the necessary supplies for the journey, and had been fretting over the possibility of forgetting something. Luckily for her, Legolas had been there to assist her, and had supplied her with nearly everything that she would need. A bedroll was fixed to the back of the saddle, thick enough to ward off the early spring of frost. A pack was fastened above the bedroll which contained several sets of clothes. Grimacing, she tried not to think about the fact that she would not be able to change into fresh clothes every day. Several smaller packs were secured on either side of the saddle, both at the cantle and the pommel. Each of these contained a wide variety of items, from food to toiletries, and a small knife that Legolas had insisted she carry with her. Last but certainly not least, she had her bow and quiver of arrows. Leading Ros from his stall, she picked up her bow from where it had been leaning against the stall and secured it to it's holster on her back before fastening the quiver beside it. Taking a deep breath, she followed the group of soldiers who had already left the stables. As she passed Sirdal's stall, Legolas joined her at her side, leading the young mare. Sirdal had her ears pricked in excitement, clearly sensing that she was finally about to be a part of something more interesting than a trail ride through the woods.

Seeing the mare who she had once known as a spindly-legged filly all tacked up and ready to depart on an adventure with Legolas made Alassë's stomach lurch. Not only was she about to subject herself to the unknown wilderness of Middle Earth, but her beloved Sirdal was about to join her.

"I know that you worry for her," Legolas said quietly as they left the shadows of the stables. Alassë avoided his gaze and pursed her lips.

"I try not to, I knew this day would come," she replied, trying not to sound so emotional. The last thing she needed to do was have an emotional breakdown in front of all these elves. "I know you'll take good care of her, you've already shown that to me. I will do my best not to worry too much," she finished, turning to face the prince, a sad smile on her lips.

"I do not know what else to say to ease your mind," Legolas said, taking her free hand in his own. They stopped the horses and stood in the courtyard as several other elves passed them by towards the rest of the company. "You will ride alongside myself. You will travel as royalty, Alassë. And I promise that, should we face any peril on our journey to Minas Tirith, that I and my men will do our very best to protect you."

Overcome by his words, Alassë blushed before quickly turning away. So many thoughts were going through her mind right now that she didn't know what to say.

"Okay," she said after a moment, turning back towards Legolas and electing to really try harder to enjoy the trip and not focus of the dangers of Middle Earth. Legolas smiled at her words and the two of them started off again towards where the rest of the riders had gathered with their mounts.

Alassë couldn't help but marvel at the prince's words. _You will travel as royalty... _Obviously this meant that their secret was still safely kept, and the rest of the kingdom still believed that Legolas was courting her. At the thought, Alassë couldn't help but smile despite her nerves. Casting a sideways glance at the prince beside her, she felt her heart flutter. After weeks of debate, she knew deep down that she still had strong feelings for Legolas. It had been hard coming to terms with her emotions, and since that day at the archery range after the drama at the market, Alassë had no doubt in her mind that she would be happy with him. For some reason, however, she held back her feelings. The reason why was beyond her, for she knew without a doubt that the prince already loved her with all of his heart. The thought that she was not as willing as he was to confess her feelings made her stomach churn with guilt. What if she was never able to make up her mind, to convince herself that it would be all right? Shaking her head slightly, Alassë closed her eyes as she stopped Ros at the center of the yard beside the rest of the company. _Will I ever be able to understand what's wrong with me?_

Opening her eyes, she noticed that Legolas was giving her a curious look, and she grinned. Forgetting her emotional struggles for the time being, she hoped that he wouldn't question her about them.

"Are we all set then?" Legolas called to the company as he turned to face the group. There was a chorus of affirmative replies from the soldiers gathered around as the last couple trickled from the stables.

"Everybody is prepared to depart, we wait for you to give the word," a soldier called to Legolas as he closed the stable doors before leading his mount over to the group.

"Excellent," Legolas nodded in return. "Mount up!"

Her stomach suddenly full of butterflies, Alassë turned to Ros and tossed the reins over his head, giving his nose a rub and a kiss before putting her left foot into the stirrup and swinging herself up and into the saddle. Settling in for the longest ride of her life, she repositioned her packs and made sure that her bow and quiver were still securely strapped to her back. Picking up the reins, she shortened them and lifted her head before giving Legolas a confident smile. She was going to do her best to be brave.

The rest of the group was ready in moments, and before Alassë could even think about her last chance of turning back, they had started off across the city at a brisk trot. Thankful for the company of both the prince to her right and the bay beneath her, Alassë took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, knowing that Ros would follow the horses in front of him. Listening to the steady rhythm of the horseshoes on the cobblestone path helped to sooth her soul, and when she opened her eyes again, she felt pleasantly at ease.

Before she knew it, the group had left the busy city behind them and were deep in the forest, trotting down the wide pathway four abreast. Though her and Legolas rode towards the front of the group, and Legolas had assumed the role of the head of the company, both herself and the prince found themselves padded on three sides by a rider, with the rest of the group behind them. Soon the call came from Legolas to pick up a canter, and Alassë found that she didn't even have to ask Ros, for he was excited and broke into a canter as soon as the horses around him had sped up.

As they progressed along the path, Alassë found herself wishing to strike up a conversation with Legolas as they rode, but her words evaded her. With the rest of the soldiers hardened by countless years of experience, the forest around them was quiet save for the soft padding of the horses' feet, and Alassë didn't feel comfortable enough to break that silence. So she sat, reluctantly quiet for a change, in her saddle, watching as her surroundings flew by on either side.

Their path led them alongside of the Forest River, a wide, wild current that flowed from the Western side of Eryn Lasgalen and eventually led to the Long Lake, which she knew lay at the foot of the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor, as well as the city of Dale. The knowledge of the Forest River and where it flowed had pretty much been the extent of Alassë's readings, as she had never really had much time for studying what lay beyond her home. Even as young elfling, she had neglected to pay much heed to her studies. She had learned little even of the other two major elvish civilizations in Middle Earth, which she now knew to be all but abandoned with the departure of many of the Eldar into the West. She was unsure as to why exactly, but the idea of her someday desiring to leave her life in Eryn Lasgalen behind made her sad. Turning her thoughts away from her inevitable future, she focused again on the passing landscape.

After riding no longer than a few hours, Alassë caught sight of a break in the trees, about a couple miles off. Surely this must be the end of the path. Heart racing, she turned to Legolas, her excitement showing on her face, which turned a healthy shade of pink from the fast riding. The prince caught her eye and nodded, an explanation unnecessary.

"The edge of Eryn Lasgalen lies just ahead," Legolas spoke over the sound of the hooves, a twinkle in his eyes.

Despite the knot that was growing in her stomach, Alassë found herself grinning ear to ear. This was it! She was about to leave the forest behind her, and step out into lands unknown to her. Knotting her fingers through Ros's dark mane, she clung tightly to it, finding that it brought to her a sense of security. With every stride, the opening was getting nearer and seemed to be growing wider. Unable to see what lay on the other side due to the thick forest and the intense sunlight on the other side, Alassë squinted, straining to get her first glimpse of the land that were beyond. She didn't need to wait for long, for within a matter of moments, the company had reached the edge of the forest. Emerging from the shadows of the forest, Alassë shut her eyes as the midday sun hit her.

"Your first glimpse at the rest of the world," Legolas announced with a laugh as she pried her eyes open, battling against the blinding light. The pain of the sun was soon forgotten as she suddenly was able to take in the scene before her. Vast fields stretched on for what seemed like miles on end, dotted here and there with small clusters of rock and trees. On the horizon she could make out the out shape of mountains, snow-capped and ominous.

"It is quite something, is it not?"

Alassë shut her mouth quickly as she turned to Legolas, who was regarding her with a jovial expression. She had forgotten all about the company of elves and the prince that she traveled with, so lost she had been to the sights before her. Flushing with excitement, she could only look on in wonder, unsure of any words to describe her amazement. Legolas laughed again, louder this time.

"What?" Alassë finally managed to squeak out, her cheeks hurting from smiling so much.

"Even after knowing for so long that you have not traveled beyond the borders of our home, I find it quite refreshing to see your reaction to a sight that I have seen on innumerable occasions," Legolas explained with a quirky smile.

"I suppose that you have seen much of the world. This is surely nothing for you to marvel at," Alassë replied, wondering just how much of Middle Earth he had seen. Legolas chuckled.

"I assure you, Mellon, you have not seen anything yet!"

* * *

_Yay! I hope that this chapter was a fun read! Alassë has finally left on her adventure! I'm excited to see where I can take this, as I myself am still undecided on an ending for this story. There is still a little way to go yet, but I'm thinking that this story will not be particularly long. Around 30 chapters, maybe? I say that like 30 chapters is short, but my chapters aren't so long so… Anyways, please leave me a review and let me know what you think! I'm not sure when I will be able to update this again, like I said, it's kind of a secondary project to me now, after my other story. But I will be updating until the end (I can't stress that enough, lol), so hang tight! _

_Thanks again for being so patient, and for reading!_

_-Eru_


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